Forgotten Enemies
by JustBFree
Summary: When Him loses his memory, the Powerpuff Girls take him in. But why can't he remember who he is, what happened to him? Only time will tell.
1. Chapter 1

Like all days in Townsville, it began as a simple morning.

The girls, now having grown into fine young women, had woken up early, had their breakfast and changed out of their pajamas and into the typical weekend attire of young women the world over: tight jeans and shirts fitted to attract attention, exposing shoulders and midriffs to appreciating eyes; the only pair who did _not_ appreicate the sight of the girls turned young women were the Professor and the Mayor; in their eyes, the three would forever remain as little girls.

Going head-to-head with criminals and monsters was one thing, but attracting the attention of young men was another beast entirely.

They had been flying together as they did most mornings, though eventually they would each branch off to their own destinations. Buttrcup to her job as a self-defense instructor, Blossom to her internship at the Mayor's office, and Bubbles to her morning art class at the Townsville Uniersity.

As they had passed over the park, it had been Buttercup who happened to glance down and then called their attention, pointing to the field far below. "Whoa! Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Bubbles turned around and followed her sister's gaze. She gasped and felt her stomach drop. "I don't believe it! He hasn't been seen in years."

For her part, Blossom narrowed her eyes at the solitary figure below and asked, "Is it just me or does he look…lost?"

"Lost? No way, he must be waiting for the right time to attack or something." Buttercup said.

Without waiting to debate who would be the one to approach the curious figure, Bubbles swept down to the park. She hovered above him for several moments, using her heightened senses to determine whether or not who she was looking at really was…_Him_.

Him, the most powerful foe she and her sisters had ever known, for he was unique among all their enemies. He had no greed for money or the petty respect commanded by Townsville's homegrown thieves and criminals. No, Him had been different from the start, from his motivations to his methods and his manners.

For years, it had seemed that the only thing he wanted was to toy with them. Mind games to make them turn on each other or he would cast a spell to fill their loved ones with rage; he would play their greatest fears against them in their nightmares or, as he had in one very special adventure - he had tortured them with riddles, implying that their father's life hung in the balance. It had turned out to be a ruse, a damn wager for a free breakfast. Him was unpredictable, as deceptive as he was dangerous and without question, their most powerful and playfully vindictive enemy.

He had disappeared years before, and his emotional torments had not been missed.

Now, though, it seemed that he had come back. Bubbles drifted in a wide, slow circle high above Him, looking for some sign, even a small clue that this was an imposter. She cursed when she could find no such indication. This figure looked enough like the creature she remembered. Tall with a wiry build, each muscular arm ending in long hooked claws rather than the hands of a man. He had a head of jet-black hair, a sharp, angular face, and the eyes of a dragon – golden, calculating, eternally amused.

His expression was blank, absent his joker's smile, but it was Him. She was sure of it now.

Taking a deep breath to steel her nerves, Bubbles landed beside the demon, watching as he stood staring into space, unblinking and immobile. After a moment, she cleared her throat, but he did not react to the sound. She furrowed her brow, wondering what was wrong with him; Him was inhuman, true, but this...emptiness in his eyes and expression, it was unnatural.

Glancing up, she saw her sisters moving into position if he made a move to attack her. Hesitantly, she reached out and tapped his shoulder. "Excuse me, Him?"

At being touched, he turned around to find a pretty, petite girl standing at his side, her curling hair tied in low pigtails, her expression expectant as she looked up at him.

He blinked at her. "Yes?"

She suppressed the urge to shudder at the sound of his voice; the years had done nothing to dull its otherworldly echo.

"May I ask what you're doing here?" Bubbles frowned at him, at the lack of recognition in his eyes as he met her gaze.

At her question, the creature seemed to consider his surroundings for the first time. He looked about the park, his eyes lighting on the lake, the Townsville skyline in the distance, the trees swaying in the breeze and the people at the edge of the field who were obviously trying to keep their distance from him.

Him lifted his claws, wincing as he tried to click them together. "…I...I don't remember…"

Buttercup landed lightly next to Bubbles, but her attention was on their confused enemy. "What? What do you mean, you don't remember?"

Him blinked, clearly unsure why there was another girl asking questions of him. He narrowed his eyes, trying to place this one. Her fierce expression was unfamiliar, though she was no less lovely than the first girl who had approached him.

Who were they? Why could they fly? And why did they seem so interested in him?

_Him._

The demon ticked his head to the side, sure that he'd remembered something, but the thought was gone just as quickly as it had come.

"I don't know how I got here. Where am I?" He asked them, wondering if they knew where they were since they obviously seemed to recognize him.

To his surprise, yet another girl dropped down to land before him. He took a step back, wary now, and raised his eyes to the sky, looking for any remaining women in the air above him. Where did they keep coming from and why were they so concerned?

"He's got amnesia!" Blossom exclaimed to her sisters.

"How?" Bubbles asked.

Buttercup narrowed her eyes at the creature, who was still searching the sky for more incoming Powerpuffs. Now that she really focused on him, she noticed that he looked like he'd been roughed up; it was difficult to see the injuries at first due to his deep crimson skin, but they were there. There was a cut on his cheek, one of his eyes was bruised, he had scratches all over, and his clothing had seen much better days. Buttercup's eyes widened as she saw the most telling injuries of all, that both of his claws were harshly cracked, damaged to the point where he could not even align them correctly.

"He looks like he's been in a fight. Even we never caused that much damage, just look at his claws!" She said, pointing at him.

Bubbles brought her hands to her mouth as Him hissed when he tried to open one of his claws.

"I hurt all over." Him said, seeming to only just realize his injuries. His infantile statement sent an odd pang through Bubbles's heart; in a startling moment, she realized that she felt a bit of sympathy for the lost creature.

"What should we do?" She asked her sisters.

Blossom furrowed her brows, considering what, if anything, they should do with him. "Well, we can't just leave him out here like this." She glanced to the other people in the park, all of them interested in what was happening but clearly afraid of Him. "If anyone attacks him you know he'll fight back, and there's no telling what Him could do if he doesn't remember how to control his power."

"Good point, but what are we gonna do with him? Him can't stay in the park but it's not like there are kennels that take in the stray demons of Townsville either." Buttercup urged.

The demon perked up, finally understanding why their grammar seemed so disjointed. "Oh, you call me that because you don't know my real name. To you, my name is Him."

Blossom rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, we know." She turned back to her sisters. "Look, maybe we should bring him home and have the Professor check him out, maybe he can help him to remember."

Buttercup's jaw dropped. "We can't invite that thing into our home!"

Blossom shrugged. "It's not like he hasn't been to the house before, he's even been in our dreams! What choice is there?"

Bubbles chimed in, but kept her voice low so that Him could not overhear her. "Well…if he doesn't remember us, or even himself very well, then he doesn't remember that he hates us…"

"So he might let us help him?"

An idea occurred to Bubbles, one that held immense appeal. "Even better, maybe he'll actually be good for once!"

Blossom considered, "Let's just hope we can convince Him to behave. I- hey, where'd he go?"

Buttercup turned around and found Him walking after a colorful butterfly, claws outstretched. "Jeez, look at him! It's like he's been turned into a toddler or something."

The girls walked after him, when Him suddenly lashed out with his arm, emitting a powerful blast of energy that thankfully missed the pretty insect but struck down a powerpole with frightening accuracy. For a moment the girls could only stare, and Him appeared just as surprised as they by what he'd done.

Blossom crossed her arms. "He's turned into a toddler demon, but a demon nonetheless. We've got to bring Him to the house before he wrecks the whole city."

Despite all doubts, her sisters could only agree.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been something of a hassle to get Him back to the house that the young heroes still shared with their creator, the world-renown Professor Utonium. On questioning the creature, it soon became clear that Him had forgotten how to transform himself into mist or to expand his size, so the girls had decided to carry the demon back to their home before he did anything else to draw negative attention from the people; they could only imagine the damage he could do if he was backed into a corner. Best not to find out.

The day proved to be full of surprises, as it turned out that Him was much heavier than his wiry build would suggest. Blossom began to ramble on to her sisters about a theory she had, that Him's immense powers were extensions of his physical being, which accounted for his ability to withstand all the punishment they had inflicted on him in previous years and come back unscathed. Bubbles and Buttercup nodded along with her theory, but they were more preoccupied by the surreal situation at hand: they were carrying home an amnesiac foe they'd found lost at the park.

They might have had stranger days, but this day would certainly be placed in their Top 5.

* * *

><p>By the time they reached the Utonium household, the three PowerPuffs had collapsed on their lawn, exhausted. Him stood over them while staring at the house, trying to remember why it seemed familiar. He felt it, that he had been here before but he could not recall when, or why.<p>

The demon was fast becoming frustrated with his own uselessness. One thing he could be sure of, he did not like it when he was not in control.

"Do you remember anything?" Blossom asked as she stood and brushed the grass from her jeans, moving to his side.

Him shook his head. "Sometimes I think I remember, but then it just…flies out of my mind."

She gave him a weak smile. If this had been any other villain, she would feel sorry for their lack of memory- but this was _Him_. He wasn't like any other villain they had ever known, and for her part, Blossom hoped that he never remembered what he was.

"I don't know about you guys but carrying that cargo has worked up my appetite." Buttercup groused as she headed to the front door. "I say we order in tonight."

"She always says that when it's her night to cook." Bubbles told him under her breath. The two shared a quick, conspiratorial laugh as Blossom opened the front door.

Dumbly, Him followed the girls into the house, his eyes taking in the colors and shapes of the place that made their house a home. Being what he was, it wasn't often that he found himself in the homes of humans. The scent of apple cinnamon potpourri was in the air, as was the tangy whiff of lemon furniture polish just beneath it. There was a bright, spacious sunken living room with a sofa placed before a television set, and several family pictures taken over the span of nearly two decades were lining the walls.

A staircase lead up to a second-story balcony where he could see a few doors, though he didn't know where they would lead. Perhaps he knew once, but his mind was now empty of details regarding this family. The only reason he knew their names was because he'd paid attention as they'd addressed each other.

He followed the girls into the living room and remained standing as Buttercup flopped onto the sofa, clearly intent on watching some television.

"Professor? Are you home?" Blossom called out.

A door to their left opened, and a man with graying dark hair in a lab coat stepped over the threshold and into the room. He looked up from a clipboard he'd been holding, his eyes immediately falling on Him.

"Argh! Girls, get away from it!"

Bubbles threw up her arms to stop the Professor from throwing a nearby folding chair at Him in a reflex to protect his girls. "It's ok Professor! Please, something has happened to make Him forget about everything…_including that we're his enemies_. Something hurt him, we need you to look at him and see what's wrong."

The Professor sheepishly set down the folding chair, leaning it back against the wall. He glared at the retreating demon before turning to address Bubbles. "Girls, you know I'm not that kind of doctor, and with Him, I think we should be looking for an exorcist instead."

Him raised his damaged claw timidly to the man. "May I please have some water?"

"Huh." The Professor frowned at him. "I remember him being a lot more demanding."

Blossom sighed and began to explain, "He doesn't seem to remember his old self, we only just found him in the park. He was lost and didn't even know how he'd gotten there. If he doesn't remember everything right away, then he should behave himself. We need you to see if he'll get his memory back."

"If he doesn't remember his old evil self then why would you want me to help him recover those memories at all?" The Professor asked.

Blossom considered the Professor's question, "We need to know what did this to him. If there's something out there that can erase memories, we could be next."

"You think whatever did this to Him could target you next?" He asked in genuine concern.

Buttercup shrugged, "We can take on anything, but if we end up without our memories like Him then we won't even know how to use our powers to fight back. If Him can remember and tell us what happened, we'll at least be prepared if it comes gunning for us."

"Which is why we need to help Him remember," Bubbles concluded. "And it's why we need to keep him here."

Him simply stood there, looking on as they all went on to discuss what to do with him. He didn't mind, the girls and their professor seemed to know much more than he did. He contented himself with moving further into the living room, his keen eyes suddenly fixated on a photograph of the girls as they were children.

The three of them, so different in looks and personality, yet so alike in their powers and convictions. He felt a tingle of recognition on looking over their faces in the picture; perhaps that was how they all knew each other, from when they were very young…but why would he have had anything to do with a trio of little girls?

He blinked and began to feel the weight of his stress and injuries come upon him. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see that the women and the Professor were still discussing him, something about new monsters and what their responsibilities would be. He shook his head, suddenly feeling dizzy and gave in to exhaustion then, sitting down on the floor to rest his weary body and catch his breath.

The girls did not notice the weakness that had swept over Him, they were fixated on finding a resolution to their new demon problem.

"If Him doesn't remember who we are or how evil he used to be, then it also means he won't remember any reason why he would use his powers against Townsville." Blossom said. He primary concern was keeping Him contained, and then to learn all she could about him - where he'd come from, what he was, if there were others like him. Information was power, after all.

"Yeah!" Bubbles agreed. Just then, a wonderful idea dawned on her. "Maybe we could help him learn how to use his powers for good!"

"Good? Him? What do you think, Professor?" Buttercup asked. She was skeptical, but willing to take a chance.

The Professor thought for a moment. "Well, I have read studies about people who recover from head trauma and behave opposite to how they were before. It is possible, but those studies were written on humans, not a…what is Him, anyway?"

"We've never been totally sure." Blossom told him. "Our best guess is that he's a transvestite demon with the magic power to bend reality and travel in between dimensions."

The Professor thoughtfully chewed the stem of his pipe. "Huh. That's certainly unique. Well, I suppose you can get to the bottom of what he is while he's being treated. But if he's going to stay here, he's going to wear some pants." The Professor stated firmly.

Bubbles smiled. "If he stays here, we can show Him how to be good. With all his power, just think of the things he could do!"

Buttercup scowled and crossed her arms. "So he's staying. I don't trust him, though. This could all be an act - I mean we've never even heard of anything powerful enough to touch Him, let alone anything that could hit hard enough to make him forget who he is!"

Blossom nodded. "We should all take turns keeping watch over him and compare notes on anything he says when he's with us in case he lets anything slip. Also, we should sleep in shifts. There's no telling what he could do while we're asleep – and I don't want to deal with his nightmare power again."

The Professor and her sisters were wary of Him, and rightfully so, but if she was being honest – and it was a rarity that she wasn't - Bubbles was truly glad to know that Him would be staying. They had fought him so many times in the past, and he had disappeared after every battle with no explanation for his motives and leaving no trace of where he had gone. After a time, it all began to seem so pointless to fight evil when it would come back the next day in one form or another; Bubbles sometimes had to wonder if they were truly doing any good or if they were just destined to fight on forever.

Now here they had their first opportunity to actually rehabilitate an enemy, to change an enemy into a friend, the chance to do some true good.

It was exciting and strange and new.

It was decided.

They all turned to see Him sitting on the living room floor, cradling his injured claws in his lap. He just looked so…pathetic. Yes. Pathetic, helpless, and somehow, despite his devilish appearance and all he'd done to them in the past, he appeared innocent. Even Buttercup was beginning to feel a pinch of sympathy for him.

"Oh! Professor, can you patch him up? Something pounded Him into the dirt." Buttercup said. She moved closer to him, approaching slowly as if he were a wild animal. "All this talk of amnesia and I forgot about you. How bad is it?"

Him showed her his cracked, dislocated claws, almost whimpering.

The Professor drew closer, although with a great deal of apprehension. Blossom noticed how wary he was, and made a mental note to speak to her sisters; they should all take care not to leave Him and the Professor alone together. Him was an amnesiac, but they had already seen the proof that he was far from harmless.

He knelt down and put on his glasses, carefully taking one of Him's claws into his hands to examine it. He cringed to see the injuries. "Oh, it looks like you've been through the wringer all right. Come downstairs to the lab and I'll see what I can do. Um, girls, you should come too."

Together, they all trouped downstairs to the lab.

Him shivered on taking the last step to the lab floor. The room was very cold, both in temperature and in that the space was devoid any of the personal warmth he'd felt while in the living room; where were the family pictures, the vases of flowers, the windows? This space was nothing but bare walls, large machines, harsh lighting and cold tile floors.

He fought the urge to run back upstairs; there was something very unsettling and...familiar about the coldness of the laboratory and the buzzing sound of its generators.

The Professor lead them to the rarely used medical area. It was a space equipped with First Aid supplies and a medical shower in case of any accidents that could occur in the lab. It was ronic, then, that one of the Professor's accidents had proved to be his greatest gift to the city. The man cleared his throat. "Um, you girls might want to look away for a minute. Him, I'll need you to put this on." He said, gesturing to a fresh medical gown.

Sheepishly, the entire group turned their backs to Him and listened to the ruffling of cloth as he changed out of his torn dress and ripped tall boots.

Him coughed to indicate that he was finished.

They turned back to find him sitting on the exam table, and with more of his skin revealed, so too were many more injuries. Despite who he was, Blossom felt a pang of sympathy. "Oh, what happened to you?"

Him shook his head, feeling depressed and embarrassed by the entire ordeal. "I don't know."

The Professor brought out his First Aid kit and began tending to the scratches and cuts covering Him's chest, arms and lower body. The girls had not been trained in First Aid, their near invulnerability had made such skills unnecessary.

For very different reasons, they were now regretting their ignorance.

Buttercup would have liked to take the Professor's place in examining Him, as she had always wanted the chance to get a closer look at the creature. For years she had secretly been terrified of his return, and if there was one thing Buttercup hated, it was what she feared. As a tactician, she wanted to find out where his weak spots were, where she could hit him hard to gain an advantage in battle. As the self-titled powerhouse of the PowerPuffs, Buttercup wanted to know everything about their enemies.

Not that she would attack Him if he behaved himself, but it never hurt to be prepared...just in case.

Blossom winced as she watched the Professor begin to stitch the cuts on Him's cheek; no easy tast, as the demon was growing more aggitated with every prick of the needle and drag of the thread. She watched as Buttercup stood, poised to stop Him if he snapped at the Professor.

For her part, Blossom's focus on Him was based more on a secret anthropological pursuit than tactical interest. Him was unique among the villains they'd faced in Townsville, true, but was he the only one of his kind in all the world? Blossom had been working on a secret theory for the past few years – Him couldn't be the only one of his kind, he couldn't possibly be all alone. Wherever he came from, there had to be other creatures like him. Not that she was eager to meet any other enemies with Him's love of mind manipulation, but since he was a living creature, he had to have been born in one way or another.

Her strong ambitions could sometimes be a fault of hers. Him had not been in their company for more than an hour, and already Blossom pictured herself as the first to embark into the newborn field of Demonology. Perhaps now that they had Him as a houseguest, Blossom thought, she could expand on her theory about the elusive Him and perhaps even discover other demons, _Them_!

Once the stitching was done with, the Professor looked at the remaining, and by far the most difficult of Him's injuries. His great sharp claws that were so terribly damaged, and he hadn't much of an idea of how to heal them. The closest he'd ever come to dealing with claws like his was when he indulged in an expensive lobster dinner - and in just such a case, he was the one causing damage to the claws to get at the sweet meat within.

Distantly, he wondered if whatever had attacked Him had simply been hungry and mistaken him for a seafood platter.

Thinking, the Professor scratched his head and speared frustrated fingers through his hair. "Buttercup, I'm going to need you to hold onto Him."

She raised her brows. "Hold him, why?"

The man glanced at the creature, who himself appeared nervous now. "Because to help him, I'll have to hurt him. I'd rather not lose my head while doing it."

Buttercup shot a worried glance to her sisters but she didn't hesitate in holding Him; twining her arms around him in such a way as to restrain his head and his other arm. As she watched this exchange, what surprised Bubbles the most was the simple fact that Him was allowing Buttercup to restrain him as the Professor went to the task.

The demon's snarls were slamming off the walls, but Him was not fighting Buttercup's hold or moving to attack the Professor.

He was compliant, restraining himself despite the pain. Would he allow himself to be _degraded_ like this if it was all a ruse?

Bubbles turned away, cringing as the Professor worked hard to pull Him's claws back into their rightful position. The harsh grinding, followed by the wet **_snap_** as he relocated the joint so was enough to turn her stomach. She didn't like to see anyone in pain, not even Him, who had so delighted in terrifying them and making them miserable in the past. He might've been sinister, but listening to him hiss and growl as the Professor worked to repair the damage done to Him's body was very distressing to her.

Still, she held onto the hope that they could teach Him how to use his considerable powers for good. She wondered if he was capable of being good, or if it was too far against his true nature – like teaching a snake how to walk.

Time would tell, she supposed. And right now, they had to concentrate on helping Him heal, both in body and mind.

"Whew!" The Professor exclaimed as he dabbed at the sweat on his brow. "I've done all I can, but they didn't cover…well, whatever you are, Him, while I was in medical school."

"Why would they?" Him asked, looking down at his freshly bandaged claws. "We're not exactly common in this realm."

"We?" Blossom asked eagerly. "There are more of you?"

Him absently shrugged his shoulders, then groaned in pain. "I can't be the only one."

He got up from the table and struggled to remove the medical gown. He wasn't sure why, but the pattern of yellow daisies on the fabric was suddenly distasteful to him. He suppressed the urge to tear the gown apart.

The Professor moved to assist Him in removing the medical gown.

Blushing, the girls quickly turned away from Him's naked form, though not before they got an eyeful of why Him was a him and not a her. The demon in question showed no shame as he moved over to the mirror to inspect his patched injuries.

"Thank you, Professor Utonium. I feel better already." Him said, tentatively stretching his muscles, wincing slightly.

The Professor nodded and hurriedly gave a set of black scrubs to Him in an effort to spare them all more embarrassment. Him dressed and then looked himself over in the mirror once again; he didn't know anything about mortal fashions, but he knew what he liked, and these black garments would do until his favored attire could be replaced or repaired.

The Professor nervously began to tidy the lab now that his work was finished. "Glad to be of service, Him. Girls, why don't you give our new guest a quick tour and I'll order us some Chinese."

He quickly ushered the group out of his lab and breathed a huge sigh of relief once they were upstairs.

The Professor hadn't fought Him himself, of course, but he had fallen under the demon's influence in the past; such power the creature had, this ability to manipulate another's thoughts and emotions, and that he used them purely for mischief and terror was a frightening thing. The Professor didn't want Him in his house, but if the creature truly couldn't remember what he was and the malice he felt toward the girls, then keeping Him here might be the best course of action, for the time being at least.

The Professor only hoped that Him didn't prove to be up to his old tricks.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I received a PM asking how I view my characters, whether I'm picturing the cartoon as I write or if I can provide visual references. I don't picture this as the cartoon as the PPG are in their early 20s during the time this story is taking place, rather I picture it in my mind as live action scenes.

As far as visual representation, in this story, the visual I am using for Him is that of the character Azazel from X-men: First Class (2011), who looks just like Him except for his lack of claws. The character of Azazel also has a devilish tail, which my Him will have as well - a nice addition, I think, and there will be a few lines of dialogue to explain this change in the next chapter.

The visual I am using for Bubbles is the character of Baby Doll from the film Sucker Punch (2011), who I think makes a perfect adult Bubbles - low blonde pigtails, and throughout the film she wore several pale blue outfits.

Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Please read, review, and most of all, enjoy...**

* * *

><p>Buttercup drifted behind her sisters, her eyes always on Him as they gave a quick tour of the house. He'd seen the Professor's laboratory down in the house basement, the living room, their backyard, the garage and kitchen, and now he was being given peeks into their most personal of spaces, their bedrooms.<p>

Feeling the adolescent need to express themselves, the sisters had given up sharing a room in favor of carving out their own private space. Blossom's room was at the top of the stairs and so was the first room to see; a space of strict order and uncompromising tidiness, the room had been painted a reserved cream color, broken by black wainscotting along the walls and long curtains of soft pink.

"...and this was for my volunteer work at the U.N. office in Townsville...and this 1st place medal was for my essay regarding the benefit of law enforcement in the urban areas as the Middle East rebuilds its infrastructure... and this one..."

While Blossom gloated about the wall of her room dedicated to her medals, certificates and early diplomas, Buttercup kept her eyes on Him's feet.

They had never seen him barefoot before, and it was strange to realize that his legs tapered into sharp cloven claws, with another hooked claw emerging from his ankles. His legs themselves were very long and muscular which had afforded him a confident stride in the past - due to his injuries and confusion, Him's body language was betraying his new timidity.

No one had said anything, but all three of them were a little unnerved by his behavior. His voice lacked any trace of it's usual gleeful malice, his movements were small and shy. They did not wish to engage him as an enemy again, but Him was so diminished from the flamboyant creature they had once known.

Buttercup wasn't sure if she believed that he'd been attacked and lost his memory. Putting on an act like this was exactly the sort of thing that Him would come up with to trick them into lowering their guard; she had long ago learned to curb her recklessness when it came to confronting their enemies, but Buttercup wasn't going to embrace Him as a friend as her sisters had.

No.

She preferred to keep her distance from the demon, at least until she could be sure that he really and truly had forgotten the enemy he'd been to them in the past. She didn't feel that she was wrong to be aloof; she felt that her sisters were wrong to welcome him into their homes and lives so easily.

Buttercup looked up, startled, as Him turned around to face her. "Where are your diplomas?" He asked. The demon had been genuinely interested in learning about Blossom's accomplishments over the years, and it seemed he wished to learn of hers as well.

Still leaning against the doorframe, Buttercup crossed her arms. "I don't have a bunch of fancy diplomas, but I do have a closet full of martial arts trophies." She said proudly, "You don't get to be the toughest fighter by dropping your guard."

The veiled warning wasn't lost on anyone.

Bubbles quickly cleared her throat, "Let me show you my art studio."

Thankful to be away from the green glare of Buttercup, Him followed the petite blonde into another room. Bypassing Buttercup's room since it was very clear that she didn't want him in her space, Bubbles lead the way to her room. On Bubbles opening the door, Him was hit with bright light and a whiff of vanilla-scented air. He hissed and turned away, allowing his eyes to adjust.

The blonde crossed the threshold and gestured for Him to follow her inside.

It was a bedroom of ample artwork. It was everywhere; sketches, paintings and photographs were pinned to the pale peach walls. As Him had at first discovered, there were several windows to let in natural light and in the center of the room there stood a stool facing a large easel with a desk set against the wall that held all of Bubbles's oil pastels, map pencils, paints and brushes, her charcoal and her ink pots. There were several vanilla candles on an end table beside her bed.

Absorbing his new surroundings, Him stepped close to the nearest wall to look at the drawing pinned there. He stood, tall and silent for several long moments. Bubbles watched as he turned back and gave to her the first smile he'd made all day. From what she could tell, there was no cruelty, no calculating scheme and no malice behind that grin.

Him simply looked…happy.

"Bubbles, these are all so beautiful. You have a real talent." He said as he began to move from one picture to the next.

A compliment from Him. Could the day have been any stranger?

* * *

><p>As the day wore on, Him began to draw a few conclusions about the young women who had brought him into their home, and a few conclusions about himself as well. His first conclusion related to Buttercup, she of the dark hair and perpetual scowl whenever she looked in his direction; he was beginning to understand that she did not trust him, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to know why.<p>

He decided early in the afternoon that it might be best for all involved if he limited his contact with Buttercup. She obviously didn't like him, and he wasn't sure that he liked her, either. Such a pretty girl she could be, if only she'd smile. Best for all if they avoided each other, he'd decided.

As for Blossom, he thought she was nice enough, but just by watching her interact with her sisters, he began to see how bossy and self-important she was. Very intelligent, she was a natural leader, but she had asked him several questions to which he had no answer - where he came from, if he could recall having parents and how "his kind" bred their young. He had no answers for the pretty redhead, though, his mind was empty of all thoughts of his past.

Flashes of memory would come to him, bits and pieces were returning, but he still lacked any notion of the big picture.

His uselessness was making him restless, but what could he do? He could recall nothing before the blonde one had tapped him in Townsville Park.

Which brought him to Bubbles.

Petite, blonde-haired, bright-eyed Bubbles.

Him sat on the end of her bed and watched as she laughed at something Buttercup had just said. He'd decided that he liked Bubbles the most of the three sisters. While Buttercup scowled and Blossom interrogated, Bubbles had made an effort to befriend him. She'd shown her drawings to him, even going so far as to do a quick sketch of him.

He studied the picture resting on his lap, wondering why it was that he looked so different from them, why he was what he was and not a man like the Professor. And what was he? Where had he come from? He was more eager than Blossom to know these things about himself, and even more eager to learn what had happened to banish his past.

"...ok, fine! I'll ask him."

He turned back to the sisters, smiling as Bubbles approached and sat down beside him on the edge of her bed. He blinked, thinking that each of the sisters were very pretty, but that there was something about Bubbles that he favored. "Him? There's something we've been wanting to ask you for years, ever since we first met you."

He nodded. "I'll answer it if I can."

She smiled back to him, glancing for a moment to her sisters before meeting his eyes once again. "All right. Just out of curiosity, why do you usually wear a dress and tall boots?"

Him glanced over to see Blossom and Buttercup leaning in, curious. He thought for a moment and cleared his throat. "Well, a dress is easier to move in than pants and when you have legs like mine, why not show them off?" He asked, teasing.

The young women surrounding him began to laugh at the quip, flashing his sense of humor for the first time that day. Him realized that it felt good to tease, to make them laugh with his joke.

"Why do you have a tail?"

The question came from Blossom this time, her eyes lit with that same pushy determination he'd seen earlier in the day.

Him blinked, "I didn't have one before?"

Together, the triplets shook their head.

Him glanced down to said tail, a long coil of muscle ending in a sharp point, and he twitched it. "Hmm...I don't...do I look the same as the last time you saw me?" He asked them.

Buttercup narrowed her eyes, sizing him up. "Not exactly. It was years ago. You're taller now, and you've filled out since we last fought- er, saw you."

Him raised a brow. _Did she just say I'd fought with them?_

"Yeah, you're as tall as the Professor," Blossom jumped in quickly, covering her sister's slip. "And, your claws are bigger too."

He glanced down to his bandaged claws, useless as they were now, bound and broken. His ears twitched, picturing how he must have looked when they had last seen him. "Oh. Well, you three have grown up. So have I."

Immediately, Blossom latched on to his comment and began to ask what sort of biological changes his could recall going through as he aged.

Bubbles and Buttercup merely rolled their eyes.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, after having had Him listen to their favorite music and watch a bit of their favorite television programs - <em>Law &amp; Order<em> for Blossom, _WWE_ _Smackdown_ for Buttercup and several Animal Planet documentaries for Bubbles - they heard the doorbell and the Professor's exchange with their usual delivery boy. A few moments later and he called them all to the kitchen for dinner.

"Girls, the Chinese just came and I got a few extras for our guest."

Almost as one, the three sisters flew to the kitchen, leaving a colorful energy trail in their wake. Him, separated from the memory of his powers, opted for the stairs. He crossed into the kitchen and spied the extra chair brought in from the living room. The very chair that the Professor had been ready to throw at him for the crime of standing too close to his daughters.

Him slowly moved to sit down at the table, feeling terribly out of place in the face of this family as they prepared their plates for the meal. He thought it might be better if he was not present during their dinner, but just as he rose to leave, the one called Bubbles set a plate before him.

"Here you go. Eat up, it'll help you heal faster." She smiled at Him before turning to answer a question the Professor had asked of her.

Him looked at the plate before him, the generous helpings of fried brown rice, peppered steak and steamed vegetables. His stomach clenched in hunger. He watched the others eat for a moment, and then attempted to do so himself.

As the Professor chatted with Buttercup and Bubbles, Blossom discreetly watched as Him struggled several times simply to pick up a pair of chopsticks off the table. With his claws first so injured and now bandaged shut, there was no way that he would be able to feed himself.

Despite everything, pity bloomed in Blossom's heart as she watched his frustration grow. It was true, she wanted Him to forget his evil ways, but she had no desire to see him get hurt or go hungry – not now when his amnesia and injuries had rendered him nearly helpless.

Sitting at his side, Bubbles couldn't miss the trouble that Him was having. Out of all the sisters, Bubbles was the most sympathetic. Him was ready to give up and go hungry for the night when he looked up to see a juicy piece of orange chicken clamped at the end of Bubbles's chopsticks. She held the morsel out to him, her expression coaxing.

Him growled slightly, detesting his own helplessness. It galled his pride to have to be fed, he wasn't a damn child! He was…he was…

"Aw, Bubbles, we should get your new pet a pretty collar!"

Him scowled at Buttercup's joke and quickly left the table.

"That was mean, Buttercup, you didn't have to tease him." Blossom huffed at her sister.

Buttercup rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. After everything he's done, I think Him, the cruelest of cruel, can handle a little teasing."

"But he doesn't remember being the cruelest of cruel," Bubbles spoke up. "You've seen how he's been acting. He's confused and…I think he's scared."

"Yeah, I've seen how he's been acting and that's all I think it is – just a big act to get under our skins!" Buttercup said plainly. "I'm sure any minute now he'll get bored with pretending to be this sweet amnesiac and he'll reveal some scheme to take over Townsville again, just you wait and see!"

Blossom shook her head. "I'm inclined to agree with you, Buttercup, but if Him wanted to attack us or bait us into another game, he would have done it already. I think he really did lose his memory, though I hope he never remembers what he was."

The Professor raised a brow. "I'd just be happy to know you girls didn't have to fight him again. Him is – er, _was_ – your most powerful enemy, no one you've ever faced before was a match for what he could do. If he really has forgotten all he was, then I can only imagine how frustrated he must be. For the time being, let's just agree to be a little more sensitive, all right?"

Buttercup scowled, but finally nodded.

* * *

><p>While her sisters and the Professor went on with dinner and began to discuss the movie they would watch that night, Bubbles went off to look for Him.<p>

She found him outside, perched on the low brick wall of the backyard deck, staring into the darkness.

"Him? I'm sorry that Buttercup teased you at dinner." She said quietly as she began to step closer to him.

He glanced over to see her coming closer, and to his surprise, she sat on the wall beside him. He shook his head, "I don't care about what she said. I just feel…unbalanced, like my world has been turned inside out, only I can't even remember what it was like before this happened to me."

Bubbles frowned. "You really can't remember, can you?"

He shook his head. "I know my name, now. My real name, not the one you call me. I remember my home, and how I could see the world from there…then the shadow came to take my mind. There was nothing until you girls found me."

"I'm sorry. I know you're probably scared right now."

"Scared? Me? Never that, Bubbles!" He flicked his tail, accidentally knocking over a potted fern.

Bubbles rolled her eyes at his bravado. "I know you're scared right now, but you don't have to worry. We won't abandon you unless you go back to your old ways. For your sake, I hope you don't." She said quietly.

Him silently accepted her fair warning, and looked down to his ruined claws, folded in his lap. Something had attacked him, though he didn't know what it had been. Something powerful enough to wipe his memories, something powerful enough to send him from his home and leave him at the mercy of three – _hmm, make that two_ – sweet young women.

Him's eyes burned bright, two points of flashing crimson in the dark night. Whatever that something had been, it would feel his claws around its throat very soon…

"Him? If you're still hungry," Bubbles said, splitting a new pair of chopsticks. He looked over to see that she'd brought out a fresh plate for him.

Him looked down at his claws, wishing that they would heal immediately to save him the humiliation of Bubbles's kind pity.

Her hand on his shoulder silenced any refusal he might have made.

The young hero fed the demon in the dark, forming a kinship once thought impossible.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Please read, review, and most of all, enjoy...**

* * *

><p>Bubbles watched as Him ate the last bite of the meal and then turned away from her, shame written in his dark features. He could not remember his past, how all but three girls would tremble at the sight of him, but certainly, enough of his personality remained that he felt appalled by his own helplessness.<p>

Where he once weilded the power of a god, now he had to be fed by a mere slip of a girl.

Him scowled. Buttercup had been right to call him Bubbles's pet.

Bubbles watched as Him huddled into himself, hunched like a pouting child on the backyard patio. She frowned to see him so miserable, but what could she do? For all of her powers and talent, she knew that she would be useless in trying to restore his memories. There was nothing any of them could do for Him, but if given enough time, perhaps he would find himself happier not knowing what a monster he had once been.

The thought surprised her, but then Bubbles had her own thoughts regarding their new houseguest. If Him forgot all that he'd been in the past and chose instead to move forward as a force for good, then he would be the proof that there was hope for every villain, every theif in Townsville.

Was she so wrong to want Him to be good rather than return to his old mischeivous self?

She wasn't sure, but it wouldn't be her decision to make in the end.

Bubbles picked up the plate and reached out to touch him, laying her hand on his clothed shoulder. Even under the shirt, she could feel how unnaturally warm his skin was. "I'll come back in a few minutes," she told him.

Him did not respond, he kept his eyes focused out to the dark space of the backyard.

"It won't be this way forever," she tried again, and again, he was silent.

Him listened as Bubbles opened and closed the sliding glass door and returned to her family. He didn't wish to be so sour toward her, but how to make her understand how difficult this ordeal was for him? He tried, desperately, to recall a time when he had been this weak, this helpless and this miserable.

And he was miserable, for he could feel his full memory hovering nearby but just out of reach. The tiny pieces he could recall were doing him no good. What use was it to remember his true name when it could never be pronounced by a human tongue? What good did it do him to remember the power of his past when there was no recollection of how to control it?

It was tortue!

But...it wasn't their fault.

The sisters and the Professor, they had taken him in when they could have just as easily ignored him when they'd spied him in the park earlier that day. There was something inside these people that made them do these things, things that Him could not fathom doing himself.

He flexed his tail, wondering what he could do.

_Nothing_, he realized. _I can do nothing until my memory returns and I am myself again. There is nothing I can do until that time comes_.

Resigning himself to his fate, Him sighed lightly. When choice was removed, there was only one thing to do: abandon defiance and allow time to do its work.

But once he remembered, what then?

* * *

><p>The Professor looked up from the microwave as Bubbles reentered the kitchen. "Bubbles, where were you?" He asked.<p>

"I was in the backyard with Him." She said. Both of her sisters glanced up from their fortune cookies to regard her.

"Oh, is he all right?" The Professor asked.

Bubbles nodded. "He is now, and he'll stay all right if _someone_ doesn't tease him."

Buttercup caught what she was saying. "Oh, fine. But Him had just better know that if this all turns out to be another one of his mind games, I'll yank off his pointy tail and make him eat it!"

Blossom whistled. "Jeez, Buttercup."

Buttercup raised her brows, "Too much?"

Bubbles threw up her hands, frustrated with Buttercup's aggression. "If you're going to threaten Him all night, I'll just take him to my room and draw his picture."

"Why would you want to draw a picture of that stupid demon anyway?"

Blossom tightened her fist. "Buttercup, for the time being that 'stupid demon' is our guest."

"Yes, Buttercup, I'm no fan of Him but even I've had enough of your comments." The Professor told her, irritated. "I know you don't trust him but until he proves himself guilty, we have to presume that he's innocent for the time being."

Faced with the disapproval of both her sisters and the Professor, Buttercup relented. "Fine, I'll be nice. But only until he remembers what it was that kicked his butt. Deal?"

Blossom, Bubbles and the Professor shrugged, figuring that this was as close as they were going to get with Buttercup.

"Deal."

* * *

><p>Bubbles went back outside to try coaxing Him to come back into the house.<p>

"Him?"

He turned around. "Yes, Bubbles?"

"We're going to watch a movie. It's sort of a Saturday tradition, if you'd care to join us."

Him hesitated, clearly still feeling too much like an outsider to join the family that had taken him into their home. He didn't want to answer any more of Blossom's questions or see any more of Buttercup's infamous glares. He just wanted his life back, that was all.

"I don't think I should-"

Bubbles understood his hesitance, but she would not allow Him to isolate himself. It would be good for him to be with people and just forget his trouble for a little while; if she left him outside to obsess, then she knew he would only drive himself crazy.

No.

Best to have him come inside to relax and lose himself in some simple comfort. She stepped toward him, shaking her head, refusing whatever excuse he planned to use against her. "Nonsense, you can't stay out here all by yourself. It's a comedy film and the Professor always makes a big bowl of popcorn for us to share." Bubbles coaxed. "Come on, Him. I'll even keep my sisters from bothering you."

She could tell that he was tempted, but it wasn't enough. More was needed.

Bubbles came closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder. Him shivered from the contact. Clearly, he wasn't used to being touched.

She smiled at him, offering her friendship.

He hesitated a moment longer, but then placed his claw into her hand.

* * *

><p>The film was an old, black and white comedy from the 1950s, and so needless to say, Him was entirely lost when the Professor and the girls laughed at the image of a man slipping on a banana peel or having a pie thrown in his face. This brand of humor was lost on one such as he, whose thought of entertainment was spying into the mortal realm and causing mischief.<p>

Still, he sat on the sofa with Bubbles at his side. She laughed along with her family as the figures on the screen errupted into song and dance, only further confusing Him as he tried to understand the film.

His eyes roamed the room, lighting on the Professor, then on Blossom, then to Buttercup. Both of the young women were very pretty, but Him could sense their suspicion, hidden just beneath their forced smiles. He looked to Bubbles. He liked her, and counted himself as lucky to know that she had come to like him as well.

No one else would have come out to speak with him, concerned for his hurt feelings. None of them would have fed him, and though he was appalled at his own weakness, there was a piece of him that had been genuinely touched that she had cared enough to ensure he hadn't gone hungry over his stubborn pride.

Him stiffened in surprise as Bubbles moved back to lean against him. She glanced up in concern, asking him quietly, "Am I hurting you?"

He cleared his throat. "No, I- this is fine."

Bubbles turned her attention back to the film, satisfied that her slight weight wasn't uncomfortable to him. For his part, Him was unsure what he should do or why Bubbles was touching him in such a way, but after a few moments, he decided that none of it mattered. Bubbles was warm against him, her very presence was calming. He tilted his head and caught a faint whiff of vanilla from her hair.

He could feel himself relaxing, his breathing a match in time to her own, his every concern slipping away.

* * *

><p><em>Where is he?<em>

_Why did he leave?_

_Come back…come back…_

Buttercup stood over Him with her arms crossed, watching him sleep, his clawed arm wrapped around the waist of her sister. Bubbles was awake, but had made no move away from the demon since the film had ended. Buttercup didn't like this, not one bit. "You really are starting to treat Him like he's a pet or something."

Beside her, Blossom crossed her arms as well, making mental notes to begin studying Him while he slept. If she was going to break ground in Demonology, she had to pay attention to her unwitting subject.

"Bubbles, you shouldn't be getting so close to Him like this. He's still dangerous." Blossom glanced at Buttercup, "I've been curious about Him's heritage for years. What he is, where he came from…and more importantly, where he gets his power."

Careful not to wake Him, Bubbles moved to stand beside her sisters though a large part of her would have been perfectly content to remain with him. He was warm and solid, truly he made a great pillow. She frowned at her sisters, "You'd rather I was either insulting him all the time or studying him like he was a bug in a jar? So far I'm the only one's who's been nice to him."

Blossom raised her brows, "I've been...studying him like a bug in a jar, haven't I?"

Bubbles crossed her arms. "Yes. I know you're curious but he can't answer any of your questions now and I think it makes him feel bad."

"What are you, Him's buddy now?" Buttercup asked.

Bubbles threw up her arms, "He needs a friend right now, so yes! Yes, I'm Him's friend, which is more than I can say for either of you - if he doesn't remember being our enemy, then we have the opportunity to make him into our friend."

"That would be a great thing if Him could his use his power to fight with us instead of against us," Buttercup relented. "I just don't think you're being smart to trust Him so quickly. It hasn't even been a full day and you're already cuddled up on the sofa!"

Bubbles shrugged, "I didn't plan that, look I believe that he really can't remember. I don't think this has all been his plan to get to us."

Blossom nodded in agreement. "I don't think it's been a plan either, but we still shouldn't drop our gaurd. Him is still dangerous and just in case, we need to learn all we can- what is that noise?"

The three sisters looked back into the living room, to where the creature was still curled, sleeping on the sofa. Him had begun to mutter as he slept, but his words were like nothing they had ever heard before - some kind of foreign language shot through with his own snarls and hissing.

Bubbles stepped into the living room and approached Him. "Is he...talking in his sleep?"

From just beside her, Buttercup shrugged. "Maybe that's how they talk where he comes from."

Despite her wish to study Him and learn about where he'd come from, Blossom shuddered at his hissing and ferocious snarls. "It sounds horrible. Wake him up!"

Bubbles immediately pointed to her raven-haired sister. "I volunteer Buttercup!"

"Fine, fine. You both get on me about teasing him but you're afraid of waking him up…" Buttercup grumbled.

She reached down and grasped his shoulder, intent to gently shake him until he woke up. She had barely laid her hand on him when he twisted and almost took her head off with a wild blast of energy from his eyes, which left a burning hole in the ceiling.

Buttercup didn't waste a moment in grabbing Him by the shirt and drawing back her fist.

Thinking fast, Him raised his claws, "Oh! I'm sorry, it was a reflex."

When Buttercup didn't loosen her grip on his shirt collar, Blossom stepped in and put a hand on her tense sister's shoulder. "That's ok, Him. We still do that when we have nightmares. Did you have a bad dream?"

Relenting, Buttercup let go of him and took a step back. Him shook his head, cradling his face with bandaged claws. "I don't dream the way that you do. It's different. I could hear my children missing me, though thankfully it didn't sound like anyone was hurting them."

Blossom raised her brows in shock, "Children?"

Buttercup smiled awkwardly. "Um, congratulations."

Bubbles looked at Him with sympathy. "What were they saying?"

Him thought for a moment, not realizing what a bomb he'd dropped on the sisters with his admission of children. "They weren't being hurt, of that I'm sure. They only sounded confused. I'm starting to...it will take time before I can remember…" He said before sitting back on the sofa, defeat hanging over him like a veil.

The three sisters stood, at a loss, but sympathy wove through them for the demon who had once haunted their dreams. Finally, one sister stepped forward to sit beside him on the sofa, even going so far as to put a comforting hand on his knee.

"A family should never be separated. We'll try to help you get home, Him. And we'll help you find whoever did this to you."

That it was Buttercup who gave Him this reassurance made the promise all the more final.

* * *

><p>"The Professor said it was all right for you to sleep in the study," Bubbles reassured Him as she brought in an extra pillow later that night.<p>

He'd been standing in the center of the small room, absorbing the space. There were several bookshelves lining the far wall, each of them crammed full of books on physics, literature, biology and there were even a few fiction novels tossed into the mix.

He could smell a faint sweet scent in the air, and spied a scented candle burning on an end table. A cherrywood desk held a laptop computer, a stack of Post-It notes, a cup of pens and a personalized coffee cup declaring the Professor as 'The World's Best Dad!'. A potted fern rested on a small shelf drilled into the wall just above the desk.

Bubbles watched as Him moved to peek out the window; the view looked out over the driveway. He shivered slightly before turning to face her. "Thank you, Bubbles."

"Do you need anything?"

He gave her a weak smile. "You wouldn't happen to be holding my memory, would you?"

Bubbles smiled sadly back at Him. It was clear that he was confused and feeling helpless, even more so now that he'd heard his children calling out for him. His children; it was so strange to learn such a thing, and so ironic that, now that they had time to spend together, Him couldn't tell her anything for his lost memory.

"I'm afraid not. Him…Buttercup was right. A family shouldn't be separated, and we'll do what we can to help you."

Him nodded, seeming to understand. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? For what?"

"You have been kind to me when I've done nothing to deserve it in the past."

Bubbles raised her brows at his apology. "Are you starting to remember?"

"It's coming in bits and pieces. A flash over a word, a scent. But the whole picture? No. Not yet." Him sighed and sank into the low sofa.

Bubbles moved to sit beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.

There was nothing she could say to comfort him, but perhaps just by being there, being his friend, could be enough.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Short chapter this time. Please read, review and most of all, enjoy...**

* * *

><p>The days seemed to drag by for Him as he resided with the Professor and the young women who had once been such thorns in his side. He learned more about them with each day; what they enjoyed, their hopes for the future, their friends and their hobbies.<p>

His memory was a stubborn thing, always just out of reach, a thing impossible to grasp. Days passed without any hint of his past, yet as he slept he could still hear the echo of confusion from his realm. The sense of his own uselessness was clawing at him, but he had resigned himself to allow Time to do its work; he had to believe that his memory would return, and that his life would make sense to him once again.

The girls and the Professor had warmed to him, though none so much as Bubbles. Perhaps she had been too quick to trust, but Him never failed to bring a smile to her face. They had grown close, or, as close as their circumstances would allow. With Him's puzzled memories as to how they had known each other in the past and the family's reluctance to enlighten him, the two had managed to build a friendship that faced the future rather than set its roots in their past.

Pleasant routines had been established between the unlikely two. Buttercup's teasing that Him was akin to a pet for Bubbles had taken on a shade of truth, for the demon was rarely away from Bubbles's side. Simply, they liked each other. She would fly to her morning art classes, leaving Him to roam the house and the backyard while the Professor kept himself busy with his accidental experiments in the basement laboratory.

Him, for his part, was content to keep to himself and use the time alone to attempt at rebuilding his memories. The fresh air, the sunshine and the solitude were pleasant; he knew that he made the Professor nervous, and there was no way that he could leave the house yet. Perhaps when he had recalled how to change his form he could venture out, but until then, Him was stuck - not only in the realm, but in the very house shared by the famiy that had taken him in like a stray dog.

It was true that Him had made strides, but how to control the grander aspects of his power still eluded him. What powers of his that he could control were far less useful than, say, being able to return to his native dimension, raise the dead or even recall how he had wound up in this predicament in the first place.

But, there were highlights to being without a past and being taken under the collective wing of the PowerPuffs. Namely, Bubbles was happy to draw his picture and indulge his occasional urge to sing along to the radio while they spent their idle time together in her bedroom. Him's personal favorite, though he would never admit it, was when Bubbles chose to curl against him during the family's movie night.

He had no memories to back his assertion, but Him was sure that he had never held a human in such a way.

He twitched his tail in slight anticipation as he ascended the stairs, intent toward her room.

Ignoring the pain of using his injured claw to knock on her door, Him called to her. "Bubbles, are you in there?"

"Him, come on in, I need your opinion." She called back from the other side.

Curious, Him stepped into her room and stopped short at the sight of her.

There was Bubbles before her desk mirror, wearing a short dress of violet cotton, exposing a great length of leg supported on delicate silver heels. Thin straps showed the curves of her shoulders, while a low sweetheart neckline revealed the top slopes of her breasts. Sultry makeup adorned her face, while her hair was let down to course over her shoulders and down her back in a river of pale gold.

Him absorbed the sight of her looking so alluring, so mature and so damn _different, _and compressed his response to the change in her - a heady mix of intense jealousy and exquisite arousal - to less than a second. Emotional as he tended to be, Him was more calculating than even he knew, and he was sure that Bubbles would not appreciate his sudden impulse to throw her onto her bed and have his happy way with her.

Rather, he took the change in her for what it truly was: preparation for an occasion, the occasion clearly being that she would be going out and so would not be available for Him to enjoy that night. _Damn._

"Well, Him." Bubbles did a slow turn before him, giving him the opportunity to take in the whole effect of her adornment. "How do I look?"

He affected a lazy indifference to her charms, casually leaning against the wall. "You look all right. What's the occasion?"

Bubbles smiled and turned to her vanity table, grabbing a perfume and spritzing the scent along her collarbones, across her chest. "Some friends from class asked if I wanted to go out with them tonight." She explained, inspecting her reflection. The young woman would find nothing less than perfection in the glass.

The doorbell rang downstairs and Bubbles looked up. "That'll be them. Don't wait up, Him. I'll see you lwhen I get back."

She was gone a second later, a flash of blue and she was out the door.

Scowling now, Him moved to her window and twitched his tail; he watched as Bubbles took off with a gaggle of friends for a night on the town. A quick count showed an even ratio of men and women, which meant...

Ignoring the pain, Him tightened his claws, feeling the old urge to attack something. His skin grew heated, the reflection in Bubbles's mirror showed his eyes glowing bright with outrage at the change in all things that had just occured. Yes, he wanted to attack something. Bubbles, perhaps. The young man who would without doubt favor her tonight, most definitely he would feel Him's wrath. But more than anything, Him wanted to attack whatever it was that had robbed him of his mind, his power and his past.

Under Him's heated glare, Bubbles's mirror was beginning to ripple.

Calming himself, Him took a deep breath. _There will be time for all of that later. Tonight I have...other issues to sort out._

He had new feelings to examine and old memories to recover.


	6. Chapter 6

Another week had passed, one that saw Him spending his time either attempting to force his memories to return, or trying to ignore his growing infatuation with Bubbles. Both had proved fruitless pursuits, as he was no closer to recovering his past and he found himself only growing fonder of the young woman who had set out to earn his trust and friendship.

Bubbles watched as Him paced in the backyard, his expression earnest. She knew that he was trying very hard to remember everything that had been taken away from him, but Bubbles knew that force wasn't the answer to bring back his past. It was likely that the only thing he'd succeed in finding was a migraine.

_He's trying too hard. Why can't he just let it be?_

She didn't want the old Him back, the one who had delighted in terrorizing her family and the people of Townsville. Bubbles liked the new Him much better; he was sweet and funny and curious and...well, she had grown spoiled with her preference to lean against him while watching movies, and not just when they were gathered with the family. Lately, Him had insisted that they watch films alone, either downstairs or together in her room.

Not that Bubbles minded, she liked having Him to herself. Perhaps she even preferred it.

Truly, she liked Him in more ways than she cared to examine.

Her sisters had been teasing her lately that there was more than just movies going on between her and Him, but the thought was just ridiculous...wasn't it? Bubbles cleared her throat as she went on watching him in the backyard. She enjoyed his company, and despite that Him was not a human, she didn't think of him as an animal and she didn't think he was in any way ugly.

Bubbles blushed a bit to realize that she thought Him was truly very attractive. Despite his inhuman attributes, he had the build of an athletic young man and a handsome face. Perhaps she had grown too accustomed to his crimson skin, his fangs and dragon eyes, because she hardly gave those features a second thought. Handsome was handsome, and Him certainly was.

She shook her head to clear those thoughts, and opened the door.

Him turned and smiled to see Bubbles approaching. "Bubbles, hello."

"Hi Him. The Professor wants to see you." She informed him.

Though the man had become used to having Him under his roof, he still avoided being alone with the demon. One can't be too careful, that was the Professor's motto...when it came to Him, at least.

Him turned to follow Bubbles into the house. "How was class today?" He asked.

She turned to him, brightening. "It was wonderful. One of my sketches will be up for a temporary display at the museum in a few days."

"Congratulations, that's wonderful news. The Professor will be very proud."

Bubbles nodded. "It's my first time to be on display, but this is only a sketch. Maybe someday one of my paintings will be placed in a gallery."

"I'm sure that will happen for you soon, you have real talent." Him remarked.

It was one of the reasons he'd started to like her, he supposed, that she had a talent he appreciated. That, and she had revealed herself to be a very alluring young woman the week before, though he refused to dwell on how late she'd returned home that night that she'd left to go out with friends - and that several of those friends had been young men surely just itching to have her all to themselves. No, Him certainly hadn't given _that_ much thought.

They made their way down the stairs to the Professor's laboratory. Bubbles felt heat rise to her cheeks at his compliment. "Thank you, Him. You know, I-"

Just then, the Professor came out of his office and smiled when he saw Him and Bubbles at the bottom of the stairs. "Hey, you two."

"Hello, Professor. Bubbles said you needed to see me?"

The Professor nodded and motioned for Him to come over to the table. "Yes. It's been a few weeks since we brought you in, and I want to check on your injuries."

Him moved to sit on the table and shrugged his way out of the black scrub shirt he'd taken to wearing ever since he came to stay with the Utonium family. The Professor checked the areas where he had previously been bruised and cut, smiling to see that Him seemed to have healed very well. The man moved away to jot down a quick note about his most unusual subject, leaving Bubbles free to observe a half-naked Him sitting before her.

Heat flooded to her face again. She recalled an incident with her sisters, when they had broken into his home only to find him exercising. Clearly, he had kept to his fitness routine, for Him had just revealed that, beneath the black scrub shirt, he held very defined muscles on his athletic frame.

No wonder he felt so solid whenever she leaned against him when they were together on the sofa or in her bedroom. She'd seen him when the Professor had treated his injuries, but at the time she was more concerned for his pain. Now though, after admitting to herself that she liked Him a little more than she should...

The Professor turned back to Him. "All right. Now, let's see how those claws are healing."

Him looked down to his once-proud claws, still bound shut in tight bandages. With his claws as they were, he had grown dependent on Bubbles for many things. He'd been deeply looking forward to the day that his claws were healed and he could make up for all the time Bubbles had spent tending to him. He delighted in having her attentions focused on him, but finally, it seemed the time had come where he could return her many favors.

The Professor began to cut away the tightly wound guaze, revealing Him's claws for the first time since the day he'd been brought to the house. As the bandages fell away, they revealed the gleaming shell beneath; deep burgundy in color, Him's claws were solid once more, completely healed. The creature marveled at his claws, snapping them, testing their strength and the sharpness of his edges. Him moved off the table, smiling widely in his happiness that his gravest injuries were healed and he was so close to being whole once again.

Seeing Him's excitement, The Professor took a few steps back as Him clicked his claw tips on the tabletop. He cleared his throat and moved toward the lab stairs. "Wow, it looks like you're good as new. I'll just…"

Him frowned slightly as he watched the Professor depart so quickly. "He doesn't like me."

Beside him, Bubbles shrugged lightly. "It's just that you make him a little uneasy."

"Because of how I look?" Him asked, snapping his claw for emphasis.

Bubbles thought on that, wondering how best to explain. "It's just…he remembers how you were before. Now that you're so close to regaining your powers and your memory, he's worried that you'll be even worse than you were before."

"Oh." Him thought on that. "Did I hurt him before?"

Bubbles shook her head. "No, but you scared him a few times and he remembers all the times we fought in the past."

Him sighed lightly and looked down at his claws, pensively clicking them together. The details were still a blur, but Him had regained enough of his past to know that there had been a great deal of animosity between the sisters and himself in the past. He didn't know why, or how it all began, but knowing the family as he did now, he did not like to dwell on the fact that he had been their enemy.

They were certainly no enemies of his now, and it had become a hope of his that Bubbles would remain close to him if and when he regained his full memory and power. He looked down to his claws, clicking them.

"I understand." He looked up to her. "Bubbles?"

"Yes, Him?"

She raised her brows as he took her hand gently into his claws. "When I remember who I am, I'll still remember that you, the Professor and your sisters took me in. No harm will come to any of you." His voice was firm, the finality of his declaration echoed in the lab.

No one was more surprised than Him to realize that he meant those words.


	7. Chapter 7

With his claws now free, Him felt more determined than ever to recover all that he was before he'd been robbed of memory and purpose. In time, he found that he was gaining a better grasp of his powers; before, with his claws bound shut and in recovery, he was nearly helpless. Now, his hands were no longer tied.

With concentration, he could call forth fire, create focused energy and, perhaps most importantly, he found he could change his form. This was perhaps the most taxing effort on his part, but with a new form, a mask to wear before the rest of the world, Him could leave the house.

More importantly, he could leave the house to spend more time alone with Bubbles.

He looked up as she stepped into her room, smiling once she saw Him sitting on the edge of her bed. She set down her backpack and extended her hand. Him obliged and held out his claw to her. Bubbles tapped the bony shell with her fingertips. This had become their informal greeting to each other.

"How are you feeling?"

"I am very well." He took a breath. "I can change my form. I'll take one that doesn't frighten your father."

Bubbles's eyes widened. "You can change?"

Him stood from her bed and furrowed his brow in concentration. "Yes. Watch me."

Bubbles did watch.

The deep crimson hue of Him's skin faded, faded until it became a shade to match her own. His claws splintered, reforming themselves into the strong hands of a young man. His tail shriveled into his spine, his yellow eyes brightened and reshaped into the round eyes of a human.

All at once, Him stood before her, reformed into a young man. She stood and moved closer to him, her eyes near buldging from her head. "Him, you look so...different."

He shrugged. "That was the idea."

To aid his disguise, Him's voice was without its echo and seemed stripped down to Bubbles's ears. She shook her head and took one of his hands into hers, dragging her fingertips along his open palm. There was nothing frightening in and of this change itself, that was not what bothered her. More, there was the sense that this false _thing_ standing before her was simply not Him, and she had no wish to see it more than was necessary.

"This isn't you. Please, change back." She said.

Him narrowed his eyes. "Change back?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, it's just too strange to see you like this." Bubbles wasn't sure why, but she didn't like the idea of Him feeling the need to hide what he was behind a false form.

Him did as she asked, returning to himself. "I thought you'd be happy."

He moved to sit beside her on the end of her bed.

"I am happy for you...just, please don't feel like you have to change your shape for us. I kind of like you the way you are."

Surprised, Him had nothing to say to that, but he drew Bubbles in close for a thankful hug.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Bubbles interrupted Him's Saturday ritual of taking time in the backyard to recover more of his power. He could feel his power returning, his grasp of them was becoming easier.<p>

Bubbles snuck up behind him and tugged on the end of his tail. "C'mon, Him. Buttercup and I are going to the Farmer's Market, and you should have some time out of the house."

"Is it true that you can change into a man?" Buttercup asked.

Him smiled at the raven-haired sister, "Of course." He concentrated, and the change came to him much easier than it had days before. It was hardly an effort this time, using his power was beginning to feel completely natural. He cleared his throat, adjusting his voice. "How's this?"

Buttercup's eyes widened as Bubbles's had the night before, to see such a dramatic transformation. Still, she couldn't let him think she was _too_ impressed. "It'll do. Let's go."

* * *

><p>After weeks of being kept within the confines of the Utonium household, Him was happy to be out on a trip into the city to the Farmer's Market. Apparently, Blossom had decreed that their family should adopt a strict diet as a move to support the consumption of locally grown produce and organic meat.<p>

Mostly because arguing with Blossom could grow exhausting, the family had gotten onboard with her advocacy and in time found that organic cooking and visiting the market didn't have to be the chores they imagined them to be. Butterup knew that her skills were a bit lacking in the kitchen, and so she was in search of simpler recipes that would produce tasty meals. Because the market drew a diverse crowd every Sunday morning, Bubbles liked to practice her language skills with the farmers and other shoppers.

Him was simply glad to be out of the house. He was sure that he'd never been to an outdoor market before, and he was glad to remain close to Bubbles's side as she moved from stall to stall, tasting sample slices of oranges and testing the firmness of vine tomatoes.

Him blinked and turned back, sure that he'd seen something, some flash of purple that reminded him of-

He turned back to see Bubbles speaking with a young man. Immediately he recognized him as being part of the group that she'd gone out with that night. Him grabbed Buttercup's arm and turned her to face Bubbles. "Buttercup, who is that?" He demanded.

"Oh, no, not that guy again!" On seeing who Bubbles was with, Buttercup forgot her annoyance with the demon for touching her.

Him glared in suspicion at the young man as he said something to make Bubbles laugh. "Who is he?"

"Ugh." Buttercup groaned. "It's Marcus Allen. He's this guy Bubbles met in her first-level art class a few years ago, they dated for a few months just because he liked her so much but I never really liked him. I don't think she did, either."

Feeling the tide of possessive rage die down, Him smirked at her. "Is there anyone outside of the family that you _do_ like?"

Buttercup glared at him. "No."

"Noted." Him watched as Marcus reached for Bubbles's hand, and he felt his temper begin to simmer. "All right, what's he doing now?"

Buttercup rolled her eyes, "Ugh, who cares? Probably trying to get another pity-date."

Bubbles was approaching them, the young man close on her heels. "Hey guys, Buttercup you remember Marcus."

Marcus extended his hand, "Hi Buttercup, I haven't seen you in a while."

Pointedly, Buttercup ignored his hand. "There's a reason for that. Excuse me."

Bubbles frowned at Buttercup's retreating back before turning to introduce Him, her mysterious houseguest. "Ahem, and Marcus, this is…Larry."

Him shot Bubbles a look for her choice in his fake name, but just as quickly turned his attention to the young man that dared to touch what Him thought of as his. "Hello…Marcus."

Him shook Marcus's hand, grasping it with a minute touch of his strength. At the moment, Him might look like a mortal man, but what Marcus had just felt was his own hand caught in a spiny, powerful claw.

Marcus screamed at the sudden crushing pressure on his hand.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry – sometimes I don't know my own strength. You looked like a man who could take a firm handshake." Him said, and he almost sounded genuine. Almost.

Bubbles frowned at Him before turning to her friend. "Marcus, I'll get you some ice." Quickly, Bubbles moved off with the young man, who was still cradling his hand.

At hearing the commotion, Buttercup returned and scowled at the demon, "You'll never hear me say this again, and I'll deny it to anyone who asks about this but…that was great!" She laughed and slapped him on the back.

Him smiled at her. "Thank you, I certainly thought so."

* * *

><p>It was only days later that Buttercup slapped her hand on the tabletop, fed up with the way her sisters were avoiding the elephant in the room. "I want to know what we're going to do about Him. You've both seen what he's been doing – he's starting to use his powers again, how long do you think it'll be before his full memory returns?"<p>

Blossom nodded. She knew what Buttercup was referring to; they had seen Him in the backyard, pacing in frustration, the air surrounding him had been crackling with black magic. His claws had been snapping, his eyes glowing, and as they had watched, his entire body had been consumed in black flames – only to die out a moment later, leaving Him confused and surrounded by a circle of scorched grass. He'd also changed his size, his form and was seeming to gain a better grasp of energy spells.

"I know what you're saying, but I was watching Him too." Blossom began. "He wasn't using his powers toward any end, he looked like he was just kind of testing what he could do."

"What he could do is level Townsville!" Buttercup insisted.

"Well so could we – and once upon a time we did exactly that, remember?" Blossom reminded her. "But we haven't done it again because we don't want to, and neither will he. Look, there's no way that we can suppress Him's powers but we can still train him to use them for good."

Buttercup rolled her eyes, "And just how are we supposed to do that? He's not our pet!"

"No, he's Bubbles's."

Bubbles looked up, "What?"

"I told you I've been watching him-"

"You study Him because you want to write the world's first thesis in the field of Demonology!" Bubbles accused. While her sisters had kept their eyes on Him, wondering if his every breath will bring the end of the world, she had noticed her sisters' mix of acceptance and suspicion.

"That's beside the point, I've been watching him and it's clear that he likes you, Bubbles. You're his favorite PowerPuff, so I'm sure if you coax Him in a nice way he'll start to learn that he can help us." Blossom said. To her, it seemed perfectly logical. From the start, Bubbles had said that Him might become their ally - now that Him was remembering his considerable powers, it was time to test her sister's theory.

Bubbles gave the idea some thought. "Hmm…I'll try."


	8. Chapter 8

After the discussion with her sisters, Bubbles thought on the best approach to take with Him. She had no fear of him, and though she had long ago given up the suspicion that his loss of memory and injuries were part of some scheme, Bubbles still wasn't sure what to make of the creature. Him was a mystery in and of himself, and had been since their first meeting when she'd been a child. The years that followed had done nothing to shed light on his intentions, other than his want to cause trouble in Townsville, though why he would spend so much time and effort to cause trouble for the city was yet another facet of Him that remained draped in mystery.

But Bubbles had been honest with Him since she and her sisters had brought him into their home, and she saw no reason to deviate from that course now. Him's grasp of his powers was returning to him, surely his full memory would be quick to follow. She wanted to convince him to become their ally, to use his power for good rather than return to facing them as their enemy.

She would hate to have to fight Him once more. It was not the fear of his powers, but the pain of having to fight one who had managed to become her friend. Bubbles had allowed herself to come to care for Him, she had already admitted as much to herself; it would be a horrible thing to find that her trust had been betrayed. He had tricked her several times in the past, she couldn't bear the humiliation of being made a fool of by him again.

Him was not in the backyard, the kitchen or the living room. She knew that he would not be in the Professor's basement laboratory, as Him had shown an aversion to the space for some reason; he'd been brought there only twice in all the time he'd been at their house, and he'd all but run from the space once the Professor had finished with his examinations.

That left only one place where he could be. Bubbles drifted upstairs and peeked into the study. "Him?"

She shivered slightly as that cunning, otherworldly voice echoed from all corners of the room. "Hmmm?"

"Can we talk?"

She watched as a red mist materialized and flowed over the floor, meeting in the center and quickly rising to take shape. Him emerged, forming himself into being. "Oh, Bubbles, you know I always have time for you." He said kindly, opening his arms to welcome her into the small study where he slept. Not that he'd been doing much sleeping, lately.

She smiled, "Thank you. My sisters and I were talking earlier and you came up in conversation." The girl saw no reason to draw out her point in speaking with him. "Your claws are healed and we've seen you using your powers."

Him gestured to the sofa and moved to perch beside her as Bubbles sat down. "Yes, I have been trying but I still can't remember how to get home…or where my home is…or why I can't remember…"

"Do you still dream about your children?" Bubbles asked. They had not spoken of it since the first day he'd mentioned being able to hear his children calling out for him while he slept.

Him shifted and looked away for a moment. "Sometimes. They aren't being hurt, they only sound confused by my disappearance – even more confused than me! I have to remember what happened soon or else some underling with a bold streak will try to take my place." Him clicked his claws. "If that happens, the war for control of my realm will spill into this world and we can't have that."

Bubbles raised her brows. She would have to relate what he'd just said to Blossom, who was still making a habit of questioning Him and making notes of all that he could remember about his origins. "We want you to remember what happened, Him, but not if it means that you'll turn on us again." She said seriously.

"I already told you I wouldn't." Him told her. "I promised it, and I can't break any promise I make."

The petite blonde smirked at him. "Yes, and we all know from past experience that you have a way with words. It's what you do in your actions that count the most, Him. We want you to stay, but you have to prove that you can be good."

His eyes sparked a bright green for a moment as he huffed, "I am in control of my actions, you know!" He smiled at her, then. "But to put your mind at ease, what can I do to prove that I can be..._good?"_

He all but shuddered in revolt at that last word.

"There are lots of ways. The easiest is just to do good things whenever you see the opportunity." Bubbles explained, trying not to laugh as she watched him cringe at the very concept.

Waiting for an opportunity seemed easy enough to Him; a large part of the mischief he'd performed in the past was based on waiting for the perfect opportunity. "Well, how will I know?"

"It's always come naturally to us, but I guess you'll have to be…trained." Bubbles said, teasing him.

Him snapped his claws and stood up to pace, his long booted legs covering the length of the room in two strides. "Trained? I'm no one's pet!"

Bubbles laughed at his irritation. "It'll be easy, Him…unless you're afraid."

Huffing and petulant, Him crossed his arms. "I told you before, I fear nothing."

"Then this won't be any challenge for you."

He smiled at her, intent to turn the tables on the little blonde minx.

If she wanted to tease him by implying his need to be trained a new trick like a favored animal, then she had to know that he would not perform without reward.

Bubbles gasped as Him pounced at her, his arms suddenly braced against the back of the sofa on either side of her narrow shoulders, his face suddenly very close to her own. Her eyes widened and her pulse jumped at having Him very nearly atop her.

"All right. I'll do what you want, but I want something in return."

Him drew back slightly, just enough for Bubbles to catch her breath. "I...what do you want?"

The demon smiled, flashing his fangs. He leaned in close, and hissed into her ear, "From you, Bubbles? Just a little _sugar."_

* * *

><p>Bubbles could still hear Him's laughter echoing around her as she scowled into her reflection an hour later. Him and his bizarre mood swing, what had all that been about?<p>

She shivered, recalling how quickly the mood between them had changed. It seemed that in one moment they were teasing each other and in the next, he'd trapped her beneath him and made his desire frighteningly clear.

Him desired _her_.

Bubbles shook her head, feeling foolish. Here she had grown to care for Him and could admit that she found him attractive...had he sensed that and only been teasing her for it, or had he been genuine in his want of her in return for performing good deeds?

The damn creature was such a mystery that Bubbles didn't have a clue one way or the other. She'd been so shocked by his words and behavior that she'd run from him the moment he backed away from her. Him had not followed to press on with his proposition, but she'd heard him laughing as she retreated into her room.

She shivered, confused by her body's mutual thrill and terror at having Him so suddenly, intimately close.

If her body was merely confused, then her mind was a complete mess.

That she, a young woman who had devoted the use of her powers to the greater good of her city since childhood, should allow herself to become infatuated with a former enemy - an _inhuman_ former enemy, at that! - was a thing that shamed her. She could tell no one, and she could not begin to avoid Him without arousing the suspicion of her family.

_But why should it be a cause for shame?_

Bubbles slipped on her pajamas and thought on that question, though if it had come from her own mind or it was another trick of Him's, she couldn't say for sure.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Bubbles invited Him to go on a walk through the neighborhood. She had a plan in mind for him, a test of his understanding.<p>

In his disguise as a young man, a character Bubbles had christened Larry, Him fell into step with her as she strolled down the sidewalk. Her clothing was casual for the sunny weekend: a dark denim skirt and a blouse of pale pink that Him suspected had been pulled from Blossom's closet. Freed from her preferred low pigtails, the blonde strands had instead been braided into a long golden rope down her back.

Neither one of them made mention of what had happened the night before: Bubbles because she was too embarassed, Him because he wanted to see how Bubbles would respond to his proposition now that the seed had been planted in her mind.

He was merely curious, and still found himself infatuated with the petite hero. He remebered the three sisters besting him in the past, but Bubbles had been his favorite PowerPuff to toy with, usually by manipulating her trusting nature. Now that she was less a girl and more a woman, he wanted to toy with her in a different way.

He followed Bubbles around the corner to the next block of her neighborhood and he stopped behind her as her eyes fell on a group of children standing below a tree. Bubbles smirked at seeing them.

_Right on time_, she thought in relief.

She had explained things to the kids as best she could, but Him was anything if predictable which is why she'd gone to the trouble of creating an opportunity for him to do some good.

Bubbles tugged on Him's human arm. "Aw, those poor kids! Look, their kite is stuck in the top branches and the tree is too high for them to climb."

Him only looked at her blankly.

Bubbles cleared her throat pointedly. "If someone _taller_ was here, maybe he could bring the kite down for them."

The wheels began to turn in his mind, slowly grinding out an idea.

Him looked up at the red kite so high above them, its tail tangled in the thin branches; he looked down at the upset children; he looked at Bubbles beside him, her pretty eyes hoping for him to do the right thing.

_The kite. The tree. The children. Bubbles._

_Kite. Tree. Children. Bubbles._

In an instant, it clicked, and Him understood what he should do.

Bubbles took a step back as "Larry" melted away, his form and features blurring away to reveal the devilish creature he truly was. Him spread his arms wide, expanding his size until he towered above Bubbles, the children and the surrounding houses, forty feet tall at the very least.

Him glared at the tree, his eyes beginning a slow burn into the thick trunk.

Bubbles shook her head, "Oh, no."

The tree burst into flames, a flare that rose into the air before the fire died away to reveal a black, charred husk where a beautiful, flourishing oak tree had been growing only moments before.

Him was not finished.

He drew back his now massive claw and swung it into the destroyed trunk. In a shower of burnt black splinters, he'd knocked the tree over into the street, it's long branches catching on a power line and bringing down several electricity poles, the tree's impact on hitting the ground setting off many nearby car alarms.

Seemingly unbothered by the noise and chaos he'd just created, Him began to reduce his size as he gingerly walked to the top branches of the fallen tree, and retrieved all that remained of the kite: the warped, half-melted frame.

He then approached the group of children who had cowered behind Bubbles, and handed the ruined kite frame to the nearest little boy.

All at once, the children shrieked in fear and ran from Him as fast as they could.

Him turned to Bubbles. "How did I do?"

Bubbles didn't have the heart to wipe the smile of triumph from his face. She sighed and tried to smile back at him. "Not exactly what I had in mind, but we're getting closer."

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Professor Utonium looked up as a haggard-looking Bubbles entered the kitchen and moved toward the freezer. He watched as she took out a pint of Ben &amp; Jerry's and dug into it with a spoon, tension radiating from her petite form as she ate with purpose.<p>

"Hey, Bubbles, how did it go with Him?" He asked tentatively.

She swallowed an ice-cold spoonful of Phish Food and sighed. "Not so good Professor."

"No? And why's that?"

Bubbles set her pint on the table and sat down across from the man. "It's Him. I tried to get him to do some good earlier today but he kept going overboard with his powers. I swear, he almost destroyed the whole neighborhood today!"

The Professor nodded. "Bubbles, it's only been one day, and he's a little like a wild animal, you can't expect his instincts to leave him overnight. Him has been through a severe trauma and it's certainly been an adjustment for him just to live here with us. I don't know what he did when he wasn't fighting you girls, but I highly doubt that was the only time he used his powers."

"What do you mean?"

He scratched his temple, "Well, being what he is, he probably used his powers for lots of things but I'm sure most of it was for malice of some kind or another. He's never known how to use his power for good. I'm sure that the concept of being good, for the simple sake of being good, is alien to him."

Bubbles cradled her head in her hands. "I tried to guide him but he wound up burning down a tree and scaring a bunch of neighborhood kids."

"Mmm, so I suppose it's safe to assume he was the reason our block lost power earlier today?"

She looked up, "I think he really was trying, but it's like he has to cause as much trouble as possible in everything he does!"

The Professor extended his arm to put his hand over her own on the table. "Your frustration is understandable, honey, and I know how making Him into a force for good has become something of a project for you – but a leopard can't change his spots, you know."

"I understand what you're saying, Professor, but I'm not ready to give up on him just yet. I believe that he can choose to be good, all Him needs is a reason to change."


	9. Chapter 9

It was an usual night in that the house was not alive with the loud cheerful chatter of young women, each so bright and burning with their chosen passions. Often at night, Buttercup would be sparring, either with one of her sisters or she would work her frustrations out on a side of beef that needed tenderizing. It was not that she was a cruel girl, but there was something in Buttercup that left her with more restless energy than her sisters, and she had a quick temper despite her training in patience with several wise monks. Perhaps it was the spice in the Professor's recipe, most of it had gone to the making of Buttercup's personality. She was, by far, the loudest of the sisters and the silence of the house was all the more telling without her voice ringing within the walls.

Him had fallen into the habit with Blossom of answering as many questions as she could come up with: sometimes she asked of his home, what relations he could claim to remember, often she asked of his powers and physical anatomy. Him answered what he could, for he knew of Blossom's ambition to begin the field of Demonology and he'd found it useful to discuss himself as it aided in the recovery of his memory. Only a few holes remained blank when it came to his history now, only a few things were blind to his mind. He remembered his disgust with the girls' ideals for peace and happiness in Townsville, and all he'd done in failed attempts to put an end to their goodness.

It did not shame him, for the past was past, and in spending personal time with the small family he'd grown fond of them all. So fond in fact that he'd made a promise not to harm them or any other residing in their realm. A promise was a rare thing, but for their kindness, Him could make an exception.

As for Bubbles, now there was a puzzle Him could enjoy. He knew that the girl had grown to care for him, and perhaps allowed herself to feel an attraction...no challenge there, as Him considered himself quite alluring. Still, Bubbles was fighting her feelings for reasons that Him could only just barely comprehend. Something about Him being an inhuman former enemy, or some nonsense. That didn't matter to Him. What did matter was that Bubbles could overcome her hesitation and allow him the chance for seduction he'd been waiting for since seeing her all dressed up for a night out with her friends.

She was a beautiful young woman, and though a far cry from the demonesses Him frequented, there was something about the girl that captured his attention. He'd always favored using her for her naivete and innocence in his past schemes, and now he simply favored her for himself.

Him's pointed ears twitched on stepping into the house from the backyard. He'd heard an irritating buzzing sound, much like an alarm clock, and now the house was devoid of the girls. Him crossed the living room to step into the kitchen and found the Professor standing before the counter, cutting vegetables. "What was that noise?" Him asked the man.

The Professor looked up, startled, his grip on the knife suddenly tighter. He refused to give in to the urge to be unkind to Him, as the demon was a quest and had showed himself to be a new friend rather than the old foe he was in the past, but all the same the Professor still found himself uneasy when Him was near.

"Oh, Him, you scared me. That noise was the hotline."

Off Him's blank look, the Professor went on…

"Whenever something is happening in Townsville, the Mayor calls the house to get in contact with the girls. It's been this way ever since the girls figured out how to use their powers to defend the city."

Him sat down at the kitchen table, watching as the Professor resumed his dinner preparation. "They use their powers only for good things."

The Professor shrugged, recalling the first time the girls had discovered their powers and nearly destroyed the entire city in a game of tag. "Most of the time, anyway."

Him thought back to what he'd done so often in the past, secretly watch as the girls fought giant robots and, hitting closer to Him's home, they would fight monsters. "They use their powers to fight evils things...like me."

The Professor wiped his hand on a dish towel and turned to Him. "They don't want you to be an evil thing anymore. Bubbles believes in you, she's sure that you can be a force for good. Blossom thinks it's possible, but that you have to be taught to know right from wrong – or at least, right from wrong the way it's defined in _our_ world. Buttercup…well, when it comes to Buttercup, actions have always spoken louder than words."

Him tapped the tabletop with the sharp tip of his claw. "And what do you think?"

The Professor raised his brows. "Me? Well, I had my doubts when they first brought you here. You, being what you've been in the past and the girls being my girls…I'm sorry, maybe you'd understand my hesitance if you had your own children."

Him looked up, "But I do. Hundreds."

The Professor dropped his fork. "_Hundreds?_ How is that even possible?"

"I've had many consorts over the years. I'm very potent, and my consorts are very receptive. We breed when the mood strikes, and it strikes...often." Him shrugged nonchalantly in his explanation.

"Oh. Well, then as a father I'm sure you can understand why I was uncertain about you being here at first. But you've proven that you mean no harm and once your memory comes back we can get to the bottom of what happened to you."

Him sighed lightly. "Mmm. I'm starting to remember some things, but not that most important thing – who did this to me and how I can return to take back my place."

In the distance, they could hear the battle crashing throughout the city.

"Do you think they're all right?" Him asked the man.

"Oh, yes. If it's one thing my girls have proven over the years it's that they will take on any challenge and meet it head-on. There isn't a villain in Townsville that stands a chance against them, not even you." The Professor chided.

"I held back." Him said plainly.

The Professor looked up, "Pardon?"

"Every time we fought, I held back. I know I did. To put it simply, they amused me. It was fun for me to come here and play a game or two with them, and when it was over, I let them enjoy the illusion that they roughed me up a little, but that's all it ever was – an illusion."

The Professor wasn't sure what to say to that, but he did not have the chance to respond when the sisters had just returned through the front door.

Both Him and the Professor stood and moved to greet them. Each sister was in a similar state of disrepair, their clothes torn and burnt, their hair in disarray and all of them very much worse for wear.

"Girls, do you want dinner?"

Blossom shook her head. "Rough night, Professor. I just want to lay down."

Buttercup nodded in agreement. "I might eat later, but right now I just want to..." Buttercup didn't finish as she flopped onto the sofa and turned on the television, flipping through the channels until she found her preferred comedy skit show. Glued to the television, the Professor knew that she was effectively tuning out the world for the time being.

The man nodded in understanding. "That's all right. Girls, I'll wrap up dinner and you can help yourselves when you're feeling up to eating." Clearly, this was not an uncommon occurence in the Utonium household; the last thing that the girls wanted to do after fighting so hard was sit down to a big meal. They would often rest for several hours and then devour the entire kitchen when their appetites returned to them.

"Ugh, I hurt all over." Bubbles said, unknowingly repeating Him's own words on realizing his injuries in the Townsville Park.

Him asked, "What happened?"

Buttercup shrugged, "It was another monster trying to trash Townsville. Some purple slime monster with spikes and tentacles. Bubbles got blasted before I could take it down."

Blossom turned to Him. "Can we assume that monster was one of your children?"

Him sighed lightly and nodded, "It's possible, yes."

Buttercup winced, "Oh, I'm sorry Him, but it was wrecking the city. We…we didn't kill it. We just beat it up, in case it was one of yours. After we knocked it out, the monster vanished."

"Thank you." Him said quietly.

* * *

><p>Bubbles tilted her head back and let the hot water course over her, washing away the grime and sweat from the fight. It felt wonderful to scrub the filth away and replace it with a thick lather of her favored papaya shampoo and coconut body wash. Glancing at the floor of the shower, she watched thankfully as the dirt swirled away down the drain.<p>

Minutes later, Bubbles turned off the flow of water and took a deep breath to clear her mind. She stepped out of the shower and stopped short at the sight of company. Him was standing in the doorway of her bathroom, simply watching her. She quickly reached for a towel, which she wrapped around her dripping body.

Bubbles dashed behind the shower curtain, her face now flushed with heat from embarassment rather than the steam of the shower. "What are you doing in here, Him? Do you need something?"

When he spoke again, his voice was closer. He had stepped into the bathroom with her. "No. I wanted to make sure you were all right."

Bubbles quickly patted herself dry with the towel. His behavior made her nervous, but it also thrilled her in a way she had never felt before. She feared what he might try to do to her, but by the same token she was curious to know what he would do next. Strangely, his unpredictability was part of the reason she'd become infatuated with him. "Could you hand me my robe, please? It's on the wall hook."

Him glanced over and spied the short satin robe. Baby blue, of course. He handed it over to her.

Bubbles moved to belt it about her waist. She didn't know why she should be concerned, it wasn't like Him was a man, but all the same she didn't feel comfortable with him being able to ogle her body if he chose to do so.

She emerged from the shower stall to reassure him. "I'm fine. Another day, another fight."

"I assume your sisters ended things in town quickly." He said. The concern in his voice wasn't solely for her well-being, it was clear that he was worried they had injured one of his children.

Bubbles looked away for a moment before looking back at Him. "Yes, we always do. I'm sorry, but you know why we had to do this."

He nodded. "Yes, I know. And they all know the risk of coming into this realm and facing you. Right now, there's nothing I can do to stop them."

Bubbles nodded and moved past Him into her connected bedroom. "I know. In time."

"You said it hurt you?"

"It comes with the territory." She said lightly as she sat down on her bed. She had been about to ask Him to leave so that she could change her clothes and comb out her hair, but when she looked up to speak to him, she noticed that he was eying her strangely.

"Lie down on your stomach."

She raised her brows, "Why?"

Him looked at her. "Do you trust me?"

Bubbles hesitated, watching Him, taking the measure of sincerity in his eyes. Without answering him, she moved to do as he asked.

She closed her eyes and breathed as the demon moved forward onto her bed, to climb atop her. For a single moment, Bubbles froze, fearing the absolute worse from him.

But Him did not attack; no strike came, there was no painful blast of energy.

He did, however, move to straddle over her narrow hips before he pulled her robe down to reveal her naked back. For a moment, he stared down at the canvas of soft skin before him, marveling at the contrast between their colors. Her skin, the color of pale cream, and his own, a deep crimson.

Bubbles said nothing as she felt the cool drag of Him's claws up and down her back. He was not trying to hurt her, he was only touching her, testing, and perhaps waiting to see if she would stop him.

She didn't.

Him began to work the rounded backs of his claws into her muscles, giving her a long, hard massage to work the tension from her back. He rolled his claws into her, putting a measure of his strength into the touch, determined to ease her stress, perhaps to give her some pleasure as well.

Bubbles, for her part, had to restrain herself from writhing under his ministrations. She had never been given a massage before, and certainly she'd never had such an intimate experience such as this. The demon, the most dangerous enemy she'd ever known, was straddled atop her, his claws moving up and down her back – and Bubbles shivered to realize that she didn't want Him to stop touching her. She wanted more.

Him hesitated before leaning forward and planting a demonic kiss on the tender place where her neck sloped into the curve of her shoulder. Bubbles's breath hitched; the soft suction of his lips, the dangerous drag of his fang over her pulse point. She shuddered, unsure what had just happened to make her feel so sated, so relaxed. She felt his weight shift above her as he moved onto the bed at her side.

For several moments, Bubbles simply breathed, reveling in the faint afterglow of his touch. She was sure that she had never felt so relaxed in all her life. She almost felt weak, so lazy that she made no move to shy away from Him's claw – the tip of which he'd started to drag over her chest, over the curves of each breast, moving over her flat belly.

"Mmm. Thank you." Bubbles said as she curled onto her side, so relaxed that the didn't bother to replace her robe and protect her modesty.

"You feel better?" Him asked from his place beside her. He thought that he liked seeing her this way; her skin flushed a rosy hue, her eyelids at half-mast, her body betraying her better sense, wanting more, wanting _him_.

"Yes." She said as she stretched lazily. "If you keep that up, I might decide to keep you around for a little longer."

Him laughed at that and draped his arm over her waist, pulling her closer to spoon against him. "Ah, well I'm happy to earn my keep in one way or another."

They remained that way for several hours, until yet another disaster interrupted their time together.


	10. Chapter 10

Bubbles woke early in the morning, when the sun had only just begun to peek at the edges of Townsville. It wasn't the hotline or an alarm clock that woke her; rather, it was a chipmunk on her windowsill.

She glanced over and saw the tiny creature tapping the glass with its claws, desperate, almost panicked.

Him was still sleeping beside her, his hair mussed and his tail twined about her ankle. The sight of him gave her pause, and in a spark of memory, everything that had happened between them the night before came back to her. Him had come into her room after she'd finished her shower, and coaxed her into a back massage. Bubbles felt her cheeks heat and she pulled her robe tighter about her petite form.

It hadn't just been a simple back massage.

It had been much more than that. Him had coaxed her into revealing her back back to him, and she had allowed him to straddle her hips and drag his claws up and down her skin. Heat had built within her in a way that Bubbles had never felt before in her life; how bizarre that Him would be the one to first expose her to adult passion.

Not that she'd fought him off of her, or even said a word to stop him. No, Bubbles had been curious about how far Him would take things, and the demon didn't disappoint. He'd coaxed, he'd touched, he'd kissed, and Bubbles had let it all happen. More than that, she had enjoyed every minute.

Bubbles wasn't sure what would happen between them next, she had never had more than a few friendly dates with boys in high school and college. What few rules she understood between men and woman could not apply to how she and Him related to each other.

But there would be time for all that later.

Careful not to wake Him, Bubbles uncoiled his tail from her leg and went to speak to the panicked rodent at her window. She opened the window and chirped at the chipmunk to find out what was happening, and what he told her was very alarming, a five-alarm blaze had erupted just down the street!

Bubbles wasted no time in blurring into a shirt and a pair of jeans, ready for action.

"Him, come on, a house in the neighborhood is on fire!"

The demon's eyes snapped open and he sat up, silently dissolving himself into mist to follow as Bubbles flew out the window, heading to the fire. The chipmunk had not lied, the house on the corner two blocks away was burning. Bubbles wasted no time: she could see through the building and see that there were people inside. She crashed into a window and raced up the stairs to pull out the family, bringing them away from the burning house and into the fresh air. As they coughed and gasped, Bubbles was thankful that she could hear the approaching sirens of an ambulance.

She turned to Him as he had just reformed himself at her side. The family, confused and frightened, cringed away at the sight of him. Bubbles looked back at the still burning home, and she saw a prime opportunity for Him to do some good. She only hoped that this wouldn't be a repeat of what happened wit the kite in the tree. "I don't have ice breath like Blossom, this is your chance- put out the fire!"

At her direction, Him summoned his power in calling the fire out of the house, effectively siphoning the flames into a compact fireball held in his claw. Bubbles smiled at him as the medics approached and began to check the family. She left the medics to it and watched as Him's eyes seemed to become mesmerized by the flames he held. He had the flames in his power, and at first he made it take the form of a bird, then it formed into the face of Bubbles, then into the image of a machine.

Bubbles wasn't sure what to make of that last image - Him appeared equally confused for a moment.

At looking at the image he made, everything came back to Him all at once in a flash that had him weak at the knees. He swayed slightly as the flames died in his grasp.

Bubbles reached forward and put her hand on his shoulder. "Him, are you all right? What's the matter?"

Him blinked, and for a moment he saw with new eyes. His past was returning to him, fractured memories pulled into immediate focus and giving him a slight headache. There was a buzzing in his ears. Most importantly, Him could see the face of the one who had robbed him of his memory and more gallingly, his memory of his own powers - leaving him the undignified pet of once-despised enemies.

His control of his powers and his past had returned to him slowly during his time spent in the Utonium household, but the one memory that had escaped him again and again had been how he'd lost his memory in the first place.

Well.

Not anymore.

But Bubbles was looking at him with such concern on her lovely face. "I…yes, I'm fine. Just fine. Did the family get out in time?" He asked her, lost as he'd been in his own realization that he'd barely noticed the family and the ambulance.

She smiled, "Yes. Thank you, Him. I knew you could use your power for good."

She hugged Him then, leaving Him to wonder if she would feel the same toward him after he was finished with Mojo Jojo.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, after the family has been taken in to the hospital and Bubbles had explained to her sisters all that had happened that morning (though naturally she neglected to mention that Him had been sleeping beside her when the chipmunk had come to her window), the family began its typical routines for the day.<p>

Him had retreated to the study while Bubbles told her story, though he did not remain in the house for long. Rather, now that he memory of how to return to his realm had thankfully returned to him, Him disappeared from the realm of humans only to reappear in his own. Things were just as he remembered them, though he was dismayed to find that he'd left his television on all the time he'd been gone. He quickly shut it off before sending a message to calm his children with the news that he'd returned home and would be back shortly; he could see that Bubbles was approaching the study, intent to speak with him.

Bubbles knocked once and, with Him's called permission, opened the door and stepped inside. "Hello, Him."

The demon was seated comfortably on the low sofa, giving no hint to the fact that he'd just crossed dimensions. "Oh, good morning Bubbles, how are you?"

She smiled and sat down beside him. "I'm feeling fine. You know, since Blossom and Buttercup are patrolling today and the Mayor hasn't called, I think I'll have the day to myself. And I was thinking…"

"Yes?"

"You've been cooped up for the past few days, maybe we should go somewhere."

Him clicked his claw tips together. "Leave the house? Where would we go?"

She shrugged lightly, "I was thinking the park, it's such a pretty day and you did great this morning, I think you deserve it." Truly, she was very proud of him for putting out the fire with his powers rather than causing some new chaos to take its place.

"Oh, I don't know…" he groused playfully, teasing her.

"Please, Him? I want to go swimming and have a picnic."

"Hmm…all right! Let me just change into something a little more human." Him stood before her and changed his form, once again taking on the guise of the young human man that Bubbles had christened Larry. "How's this?" Him coughed to change his voice. "I mean, how's this?"

Bubbles smiled at him. "That should do it, let's go!"

* * *

><p>After hours spent swimming in the park lake, eating a picnic lunch and playing a game of outdoor volleyball, Bubbles laid back to close her eyes and turned her face toward the sun, taking in the warmth like a newly bloomed flower. The strangeness wasn't lost on her; here she was in Townsville park, having spent the day with someone who was once her greatest enemy now turned friend, and possibly more, if she could find the courage to discuss what had passed between them the night before. Him had become her special confidant, seeking her company for games and long conversations, his attentions usually turned to her rather than her sisters - but anything more than that? She had no idea.<p>

Still, she was happy to have seen the proof that, with the right coaxing, even Him could learn to use his power for good rather than evil. With Him as their talisman of proof, she and her sisters might change their entire approach to fighting crime and the forces of evil in Townsville.

Bubbles sighed happily, "This has been the most perfect day!"

She felt the blanket shift beside her as Him leaned in close. "Not yet it hasn't…"

"What do you me-?"

Bubbles's question was cut off once she felt Him's hands come over her upper arms as he pulled her closer to him, and pressed his lips to hers. For a moment, Bubbles was frozen. Confused, shocked, terrified. That moment passed quickly, for Him's lips had molded against her own in such a way as she had never experienced before. For one blissful moment she gave in, surrendering herself to the sensation of his kiss.

It was short-lived, however, for Bubbles was brought back to reality when he moved one hand down to clamp down on her waist, intent on bringing her into even closer contact with his body.

Bubbles pulled away from him, her hand planted firmly on his chest to keep him from moving against her once more. "Him, you're-"

Him's green eyes flashed, a mixture of arousal and fierce disappointment. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just thought we-"

Bubbles shook her head, gesturing to him and warily looking about them to make sure no one had seen their intimate exchange. "No, Him, it's-"

Him moved to lean back, giving her distance from him. This isn't what he'd wanted, he had hoped to have her for his own, and soon. "I know, I shouldn't have-"

Bubbles pointed at him, his body that was rapidly undoing itself and returning to his natural demonic appearance. "No, you're changing, look!"

Him looked down at his sharp claw. He had allowed himself to be lost in the kiss with Bubbles and so had let his disguise slip for just a moment. He frowned, irritated both with his own loss of control and the apparent fear Bubbles had of being seen with him in his natural form.

Rather than give voice to his anger, Him smiled and transformed his claw back into the false hand of humanity. "Oh! Can't have that, now can we? No, you can't be seen with me as I am, what would people think?" He asked teasingly.

She understood what he was implying, that she was somehow ashamed to be seen with Him in his natural form. That was not solely true; she was more worried that the sight of him would panic the other people in the park, but as she looked around, no one had seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary despite Him having nearly reverted to his true form.

This kiss…Bubbles wasn't sure how she felt about it, but this place was not where she would discuss it with him. The look in his eyes was determined; he deserved for her to speak with him about this unexpected turn of events.

_But was this unexpected?_

In a flash, Bubbles recalled the special attention Him paid to her, the way his eyes had seemed to follow her of late, and the way he'd reacted to Marcus when they'd run into him at the market. But that had been an accident…hadn't it?

Another, much more troubling thought occurred to her: had Bubbles been leading Him on? And even worse, what would he do when she told him that this arrangement had to end? Did it have to end?

Bubbles fumbled for words, something to explain herself, some words of comfort for the demon who was so lost that he'd allowed himself to develop feelings for someone who had once been an enemy.

The only words that passed her lips, however, were somewhat less than profound. "Blossom and Buttercup will be home soon, we should go."

Him, determined to appear nonchalant, shrugged and nodded in agreement. "Yes, you're right. You go ahead, I'll follow you."

Despite the adventure in the park not playing out as he'd hoped, Him was sure of what he must do next.


	11. Chapter 11

Him leaned casually against the rough trunk of a tree that lined Townsville's famed Park Row, a street which housed several upscale apartment buildings and the unimaginably wealthy people within, not to mention the countless boutiques that catered to every whim of the rich.

On any other day, and at any other time, the sight of Him in his natural form - snapping claws, long tail and wearing his favored dress and tall boots - would send people running for safety. Not that any mortal could hide from him when he had designs against them, but they would certainly try. Him glanced over at his reflection in the display window of the Bloomingdale's he was loitering in front of, and examined his own face.

Black hair, pointed ears, dragon eyes and his skin a deep crimson. So strange that in his realm, he could have any demoness he wanted without hesitation, while here he found himself in the frustrating position of being made to _wait_. Bubbles was so innocent, and so unsure of herself and of Him, that she had taken to avoiding him completely since he'd kissed her at the park.

Him shrugged to himself; Bubbles' timidity around him would change soon enough, just as soon as his daughter had finished with the PowerPuffs flying so fast and fighting so hard above him.

Him's eyes were trained on the battle taking place above, following the curving beams of light that coursed through the sky, coming at Him's child again and again.

Him smiled.

It would not be long now.

* * *

><p>Blossom looked for her sisters, seeking a new strategy to defeat this monster that had come from nowhere to wreak havoc on Townsville.<p>

Buttercup was down, and Bubbles was trapped in the creature's snakelike coils. It was anything but a simple snake; this creature had at least seven long, powerful coils trailing from its body, and great powerful wings were keeping it aloft over the town. It was not the largest monster that they had ever fought, but it was proving to be one of the most formidable. Already it had blocked most of their attacks and knocked out Buttercup by striking her against the broad side of a building.

There was only one being available to help them. Her eyes glowing, Blossom spied Him standing on the street, casually leaning against a tree to watch the fight rather than running for cover as the other citizens had done at the first sight of the flying beast. Bubbles had told them all of Him's assistance with the house fire in their neighborhood, but he had still yet to prove himself in a fight against a genuine foe.

At Bubbles' scream of anger at being trapped by the creature, Blossom gave an inward shrug - Him had to prove himself, it was now or never.

"Him! Help us, please!"

At finally being called to action, Him stepped away from the cool shade of the tree and moved to step into the middle of the street, revealing himself to the menace. At the sight of him, the flying beast stopped tightening her coils around Bubbles, but still held her trapped. The creature recognized her father and was waiting for his command.

Still struggling in the monster's coils, Bubbles called out a warning. "Watch out, it has poison!"

Him concentrated and began to expand his size until he was twenty, forty, sixty feet tall and able to lock eyes with the flying beast. When he spoke, his voice crashed in the air, echoing with paired joy and menace.

"Oh, don't worry about little ol' me, Bubbles. The hydra always was a feisty one, from the very moment she hatched." His bright eyes turned to the flying hydra, his voice once again ferocious. "Here now, my lovely one, _come to daddy!"_

In a flash that blew Blossom and Bubbles into the street, Him had forcefully banished his child back to their natural realm.

With the defeat of the hydra, Him shrank in size, no longer a titan but no less of a monster. He look about him, quickly finding the sisters scattered about the street, unconscious from the impacts but otherwise, they thankfully were not seriously injured.

Silently, and with the utmost care, Him lifted Blossom into his claws and moved her out of the gutter where she'd been thrown by the blast of his power. He cradled her to his chest and let his gaze pass through her. Gently, he laid her down on the grass beneath a tree in the park. He looked up and realized that it was the same spot where he and Bubbles had shared their kiss only days ago.

He then found Buttercup, who was only half conscious and struggling to regain herself. Him lifted her from the crater where she'd fallen and placed her beside her sister. Buttercup, being the strongest, was fighting not to succumb to her injuries and passing out completely. Him knelt before the two young heroes and simply watched, curious and assessing. A thousand cruel thoughts passed through his mind, but there was no time to indulge himself. They better served his amusement when they were alive and rearing to fight.

Buttercup glared at him, taking in the fact of his true power and his lack of force against the hydra. "I knew it." She growled at him, just before he waved his claw to put her to sleep.

Him wasted no time in finding Bubbles; the poor thing was at the bottom of a crater in the center of the street. With great care, Him lifted her to his chest and simply held her for a moment, enjoying the weight of her in his arms, the feel of her against him, the stolen scent of her hair.

A moment later, Him and the three sisters had vanished from the face of the Earth.

* * *

><p>Her first sensation upon waking up was pain. Her limbs were aching and there was a throbbing pulse just behind her eyes and in her temples, the start of a migraine. Bubbles opened her eyes slowly, trying to adjust to the light in the room. In taking in her surroundings, she found herself laying on a leather sofa the shade of rich chocolate, much the same as one might expect to find in the stereotype of a therapist's office.<p>

Bubbles took in the garishly bright pink walls of the room, the carpet and television afixed to the ceiling - giving the impression that the room was upside down - and the very disturbing lack of a door. How had she gotten in and how would she be able to leave?

She started at move ment from the corner of her eye and was relieved to see both of her sisters awakening on their own leather sofas.

"Where are we?"

Blossom stood up and stretched, her eyes narrowed in thought. "As I suspected, Him has the ability to travel in between dimensions – judging by our otherworldly surroundings, I'd say that Him has recovered his full powers and has brought us to his native habitat."

Him's voice echoed about the room in immediate answer. "Very good, Blossom."

Otherworldly mist drifted into the room, swirling and curling until it took shape and revealed the demon. He smiled at them, glad to see that they had woken up and even better, had slept off the injuries caused by his rebellious progeny.

Buttercup subtly braced her legs into a fighting stance, "So your memory has come back and now you want to fight on your own turf, huh?"

Bubbles stood up for Him as her sister cracked her knuckles, ready for a fight if that had been the demon's true intent. "Buttercup, stop, that's not what he wants – it's not, is it, Him?"

Him waved a claw, and the walls of the room began to fade, vanishing to reveal that the vest space surrounding them was truly a banquet hall and the area where he'd placed them to rest on the sofas had only been a lounge. Whether the PowerPuffs could appreciate it or not, Him had brought them to his palacial home.

Truly, his intent had been anything but devious - the thought had been tempting, but he was bound by his own promise. "No, no. I only wanted to extend some hospitality to you all. After everything you did for me, how could I resist having you as my guests?"

Buttercup did not relax her stance. "Save the hospitality, where's the bigger monster that kicked you out?"

Him blinked at her, lost for a moment. "Oh, that."

"Yeah, that."

Him was lucky that his skin was a permanent crimson, for the sisters could not see that his cheeks were flaming in embarassment at the truth of his plight. "Well…and it all sounds so foolish now, but that was a bit of carelessness on my part."

He cleared his throat and clicked his claws. "Our friend Mojo and I had a disagreement not too long ago. Because he, ahem, "forgot" to pay for a meal at my diner, I decided that it might be fun to make him forget himself for awhile. Lucky for him, he ducked when I cast the spell. Unluckily for me, when he dodged, my spell hit a mirror in his home and so I cast the forgetting spell upon myself! After that, he used one of his machines to escort me out of his lair, which explains my condition when you found me in the park." He explained, meaning his injuries when they'd found him that first day.

Buttercup's jaw dropped at his confession. "What! You mean all this has been because _you_ made yourself forget?"

Him shrugged, still embarassed at his being tricked by Mojo, but content now that he'd fully recovered. It was all a bit funny to him, really. "I'm afraid so."

Blossom brought a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. "I don't believe it. Him, we thought –"

"You know, from the looks on your faces I might think you were disappointed that there wasn't some rival here destroying my realm!" Him scowled, taking in their smiles at his expense.

Blossom laughed, "No, it's not that. It's just, you making a mistake like that seems kind of odd."

Him rolled his eyes lightly. "I know, I'm ashamed of myself, really. But being what I am doesn't make me perfect, you understand, and you can be sure that _I made that monkey pay_. But all's well that ends well, wouldn't you say?"

Blossom shrugged and cast her eyes about the space. It certainly was a palace from a different realm - just looking out a large window she could see tiny islands floating in the empty space, some of them were bare, while still others house soft chairs set before televisions, bookcases set near lamps and on one island there was even a lit fireplace. To her eyes it almost seemed that Him had broken a home and cast the pieces to drift about the sky.

"You live here?" She asked him.

"Yes, it's very spacious, isn't it?" Him asked, leading them to a balcony which overlooked a bustling city. Blossom was sure that she could guess as to the inhabitants.

"There more of you?"

"More demons? Certainly. More that look as I do? No. We're all different, which is why you've never encountered two who look the same."

Blossom released a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Wow. I can't believe this, the biological workings alone-"

Irritated, Buttercup threw up her hands, "Aw, can it, Blossom! You can't study Him like he's some animal at the zoo."

Blossom rolled her eyes at Buttercup's constant impatience. "Please, he won't turn down the opportunity to talk all about himself." Him clicked his claws in silent agreement - he was his favorite subject, after all. "I want to know everything, and when I do, I'll go down in history as the first to discover and begin research in the field of Demonology!"

Buttercup frowned at her sister's arrogance. She didn't care for Him, the other demons or how things worked in his realm, she only wanted to get back home, _now_.

"Him, you're back where you belong now. How are we going to get home?" She demanded of the smiling demon.

He blinked at the question. "You can't leave just yet, please stay for dinner!"

"Great, he's gonna try to eat us now." Buttercup muttered under her breath to Bubbles.

The petite blonde shook her head, "No, he won't. He promised me that he would remember that we treated him with kindness, and that when he remembered himself, he would do the same. He won't be our enemy anymore, he'll be a friend."

"I don't need a monster as a friend, thanks!" Buttercup shouted, angry now that her sisters seemed to truth the demon so readily even after the fact that he had, essentially, kidnapped them back to his world. "He has his memory back after he cast a forgetting spell on himself, so there's no reason for us to be anywhere near him - let alone in his house, in his world!"

Him frowned at Buttercup's outburst and reigned in the urge to strike out against her with his powers. Instead, he rested his claw gently on Bubbles' narrow shoulder and summoned a portal to open with his thoughts. "Well I'm sorry to hear that you won't be staying, but Bubbles and I have some things to discuss."

Without warning, both Blossom and Buttercup were pulled off their feet and into the portal that opened into the sky hundreds of feet above Townsville.

"I'll bring her back in one piece!" Him called after them, closing the portal before the two sisters could right themselves and fly back into his realm and take back their missing third.

Him turned to face Bubbles. "So, here we are."

Bubbles felt her stomach knot in dread - what was Him planning to do to her now that he had her in his realm, where his powers were at their strongest? "Yes…so, what now?"

Him recognized the tiny spark of fear in her eyes and immediately set out to ease her mind. "Dinner, as I said. It's the very least I can do for all that you did for me."

Him began to walk and Bubbles fell into step beside him. "It wasn't just me, it was me, my sisters and the Professor."

He smiled. "True, true, but the girls have already rejected my invitation and I think we both know the Professor would prefer to keep his distance from me. You'd think I'd be used to it by now but even I can admit that it hurts my feelings." It was clear from his tone that that was anything but the truth. "Everyone was as hospitable as their feelings would allow, but you, Bubbles, you made a genuine effort to…befriend me, even rehabilitate me."

She put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, and he turned to face her. "Any chance that it worked and you'll be a force for good from now on?" SHe asked. There was a genuine hope in her voice, a hope that Him regretted having to dismiss with the simple truth of his nature.

"No. Bubbles, you should have listened to the Professor, for it is as he said. A leopard can't change his spots, and so a demon such as myself can't change his nature." He tugged at the ends of her low pigtail affectionately. "Were our positions reversed and you came to be in my company with no memory, you can be sure that I would have worked to turn you to evil. Perhaps I would have even succeeded, but it would have only been a matter of time before you went back to being the true you."

"So it was all for nothing." She stated. The salt sting of tears pricked at her eyes; in all their time together, she had come to care for him. The thought of having to fight him again, whether his true self or in her dreams...it would be horrible.

Him shook his head. "All for nothing? No. I wouldn't say that. In taking me in, I have developed a certain fondness, shall we call it a soft spot? Yes. A soft spot for your family, but _you_ especially. I won't attack again, though I can't speak for the more rebellious of my children."

Her eyes lifted to meet his. "You promise?"

"Yes. And you know I always keep my word. So long as you come to visit me from time to time." He said, quickly adding the condition to his promise of leaving her world in peace.

Bubbles blinked. "Visit you? Why?"

Him eyed her. "You know why. I've come to enjoy your company, Bubbles, and I know that you enjoy mine."

The girl turned away from him, her cheeks heating. "I-I don't know…"

The demon held her, made her look at him. He would not allow her to hide from this. "You don't know? I think you know very well. I think you knew that night in your room and that day in the park. You like me, or, at the very least, how I make you feel."

"…no one has ever…"

Him smiled at her again and dragged the sharp tip of his claw through her hair. "I know. It's strange, isn't it? That you, the sweetest and most innocent of heroes, should first awaken at the touch of your enemy. You, your family, your world, will have no reason to call me enemy again so long as you remain my companion."

Bubbles' eyes widened and she pulled away from him. "You mean I can never leave?"

Him shook his head. "Don't be silly, Bubbles. Even the most devoted of lovers occasionally need time apart. I won't deny you your family or friends. In fact I won't take up too much of your time at all. I like you, Bubbles. Your sweetness is a foil for my nature. We can't be a perfect fit, but we could have an interesting time together." His suggestion, what he was offering, was a great temptation.

Though a demon, Him only spoke the truth. Bubbles had come to care a great deal for him; he was wonderfully engaging, he could make her laugh like no other, and despite her every attempt to ignore it, she had become both attracted and attached to him. Perhaps she needed more time before she could let him have her completely, but to lose Him and all that he had become to her simply because she worried what her sisters and the Professor would think? The thought was unbearable.

_No._

Him watched the conflict behind Bubbles' eyes as the moments since making his offer began to pass by. "I can see that you need time to think." He said, his hopes somewhat deflated.

"No, I don't."

With those words, and the kiss that immediately followed, Bubbles forever lost an enemy and gained for herself a friend and a love unlike any she had ever known before.

And Him?

He found that having Bubbles to himself was well worth giving up all opportunity to cause mischeif in Townsville for, what need did he have of mortals when he had a perfect foil to his nature at his side?

No, they were far from a perfect fit - but they were perfect opposites.

And that was more than enough to keep them both happy.


End file.
